CN115380683A

CN115380683A - Agricultural production method of brassica carinata oil seed crops

Info

Publication number: CN115380683A
Application number: CN202211132468.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·法比扬斯基; M·林登鲍姆; M·贝纳利
Original assignee: Newhead Global Innovation Ltd
Current assignee: Newhead Global Innovation Ltd
Priority date: 2017-09-11
Filing date: 2018-09-10
Publication date: 2022-11-25
Also published as: BR112020004905A2; CA3075785A1; UA127862C2; KR20200064090A; AU2018329245B2; EA202090631A1; US20200275617A1; CN111405846A; CL2020000621A1; AU2018329245A1; EP3681266A4; CN111405846B; WO2019046968A1; EP3681266A1; MX2020002719A; BR122024002686A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to agricultural practices for maximizing carbon sequestration, improving yield, sustainable farming, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method comprising: planting a brassica carinata variety as a second crop in rotation with the first crop or in lieu of fallow; implementing land management practices to reduce the use of fossil fuel inputs and maximize the capture of atmospheric carbon by the plant material of the Arabidopsis thaliana; harvesting the brassica carinata variety to obtain grain; and returning to the soil from about 70% to about 90% of all plant material in the brassica carinata variety except for the grain. As a result, the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture are reduced. In some embodiments, the method further comprises producing a grain for producing a plant-based feedstock for producing a low carbon strength fuel; for adding carbon to the soil; and/or obtain carbon credits.

Description

Agricultural production method of brassica carinata oil seed crops

The application is a divisional application of No. 201880071832.9 of Chinese application entitled "agricultural production method of Brassica carinata oil seed crops" filed on 9, 10 and 2018.

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims benefit and priority from U.S. provisional application No. 62/556,575, filed on 9, 11, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of agriculture and teaches a new method comprising growing a Brassica carinata (Brassica carinata) oilseed crop to replace fallow or existing mulch used in rotation, utilizing new agricultural practices, retaining the soil benefits of traditional mulch or fallow rotation, but enabling the harvest of oil-rich cereals which provide a low carbon strength biofuel production feedstock with concomitant substantial reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission life cycle and carbon sequestration in the soil.

Technical Field

Transportation, power generation, home heating, industrial power supplies, etc. are overly dependent on fossil fuels, which results in CO ₂ And the rate of GHG emission and accumulation in the atmosphere is increasing. This has led to a threat to global warming and its adverse consequences. Reduction of atmospheric CO ₂ And other greenhouse gases, is to mitigate reliance on fossil fuels, which are less carbon intensive throughout their life cycle, by replacing them with more sustainable fuels, such as vegetable oils and biomass-derived fuels.

In order to control greenhouse gas emissions, governments have enacted regulations that attempt to reduce the rate of carbon emissions increase within their jurisdictions to an agreed target level. To make these regulations mandatory, mechanisms and methods have been developed to accurately audit greenhouse gas emissions generated during the "well-to-tank" life cycle of a particular fuel. At the same time, measures are taken to comply with these goals for the emitters (carbon taxes, carbon limits and carbon trading systems). The end result of these measures is the establishment of a carbon pricing system that must be undertaken by the carbon emitting person.

These policies are particularly directed to industries that, for example, produce and rely on fuels and energy. Therefore, fuel producers, and thus expanded biofuel producers, are strongly motivated to identify feedstocks, fuels, and manufacturing processes to comply with the imposed targets and minimize the impact of carbon pricing on their baseline.

The need to reduce carbon emissions and the strong incentive for the industry to achieve carbon abatement in its area have become important factors in developing new low carbon strength approaches. However, pricing of next generation fuels has been an obstacle to their large scale application compared to traditional fuels. With the advent of carbon pricing, some of these obstacles have been eliminated, and it follows that increasing the carbon strength difference of biofuels versus traditional fuels can be a factor that can significantly affect price differences.

Carbon Intensity (CI) is defined as "greenhouse using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure fuelsMeasures for gas (GHG) emission. The LCA determines and estimates all greenhouse gas emissions during fuel production; from the growth or extraction of raw materials to the production of fuel to the ultimate use of the fuel. Carbon strength is reported as the mass of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases emitted per unit energy contained in the fuel in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of energy (gCO 2 e/MJ) "(" carbon strength determination for renewable energy and low carbon fuel requirements regulation (information bulletin RLCF-006) "page 3, second section, titled" what is carbon strength. In 2017, the fossil fuel reference CI value reported according to the EU renewable energy directive (EU-RED) and the biodiesel reference CI value reported according to the US renewable fuel standard (US RFS) were 83.8g CO production, respectively _2eq energy/MJ (EU-RED) and production of 91.8g CO _2eq MJ energy (US RFS), as described in Table 3 of DeJong et al, 2017. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that as LCA models and production methods develop, the CI values for both fossil fuels and biofuels may change. Can be athttps:// www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/fuelpathways/current-pathways-01102017.xlsx) Current CI for various biofuel pathways are found above.

Agricultural production provides a suitable method for producing the next generation of biofuels. Modern agriculture produces food, feed and fiber on a large scale and can be staffed to provide feedstock for fuels without the need to develop new production technologies or infrastructure. One attractive feature of agricultural production is its exploitation of plant capacity to utilize and fix carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and thus plants serve as an important carbon reservoir. Carbon accumulated in the biomass of annual crops can eventually be transferred, partly as harvested material and the rest as crop residues (leaves, stalks, stems, roots) which can be subject to soil-borne bacterial and fungal degradation. Some of the carbon assimilated by the soil is used as an energy source by soil microorganisms and will eventually be respired into gaseous carbon dioxide, but some also remain stably in the soil, which is an important reservoir for carbon sequestration and reduction of emissions to the atmosphere. In all carbon environment pools, the soil pool is second only to the ocean pool in size and is expected to contain more than 2.3GT of organic carbon (jobbogy and Jackson, 2000), representing more than 4 times the amount of carbon accumulated in the total biomass of the plant. Another benefit of restoring carbon to the soil is the subsequent improvement in the fertility and structure of the soil.

However, although annual crops sequester carbon during their life cycle and return a significant portion of the accumulated carbon to the soil for long term sequestration, their cultivation also results directly and indirectly in CO ₂ And CO ₂ Equivalent greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions occur throughout the cultivation of the crop, subsequent conversion of the crop into feedstock, conversion of feedstock into liquid fuel, storage and transportation of feedstock and final fuel, and final distribution and utilization of the fuel. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with crop growth include the stages of seed development, field preparation, preparation and application of crop inputs (fertilizers, pesticides/herbicides/seed treatments), crop seeding, crop maintenance and crop harvesting, storage and transportation of harvested material to processing plants.

To account for the flux of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases throughout the life cycle of energy crops for planting, harvesting, and conversion to biofuels, models such as "greenhouse gases in transportation, regulated emissions, and energy usage (gret)" model (Wang 1996), GHGenius (S)&T squared. Ghgenius, model version 4.03;www.ghgenius.ca(ii) a Natural resource of canada S&T square Consultants: in the province of british columbia, delta 2017), model based on previous development (Delucchi 1991), bioGrace (D.E.)www.biograce.net(ii) a Neeft et al, 2012) and other auditing methods. These auditing methods can more effectively compare the overall impact of the production and utilization of biofuels with fossil fuels on GHG, and can compare biofuels made from different types of energy crops. The ability to accurately model and predict GHG emissions throughout the life cycle of biofuel production can assign values to the production of carbon. Due to carbon pricing, national and international agreements are reached to achieve carbon/GHG emissions to specified targets. Examples of such policies are the European Union Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and the United statesRenewable energy standard (RFS) and the U.S. california low carbon fuel standard (CA-LCFS).

Table 1 compares published Carbon Intensity (CI) values for selected biofuel pathways and compares them to carbon intensity values for conventional gasoline and/or biodiesel fuels. It can be seen that the CI value for the FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) biodiesel pathway ranges from 67.32 to 51.35g CO _2eq MJ, CI 102.4g CO compared to conventional diesel _2eq MJ, which demonstrates that the FAME biodiesel pathway provides significantly lower CI than its petroleum-based equivalent. Furthermore, the renewable or green diesel oil produced by hydrotreating rapeseed oil had a CI of 44g CO _2eq MJ, which further reduces the carbon strength of the overall pathway compared to FAME processing.

Table 1: carbon strength of selected biofuel pathways

*https://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/fuelpathways/current-pathways-01102017.xlsx

**http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/？uri＝CELEX％3A32009L0028

* Hydrotreated vegetable oil

In a study of GHG emissions only for canola grown in canadian grassland between 1986 and 2006, the authors (shreshha et al, 2014) demonstrated that GHG emissions per unit area were reduced by 40%, while during this time interval the grain dry matter content was reduced by 65%. The reduction is due to a combination of factors including a reduction in land use variations, increased grain yield, and increased sequestration of soil organic carbon by improved land management. In 2006, the soil carbon sequestration for this region averaged about 500kg CO ₂ /ha。

However, there is still a need for specialty feedstock crops that can be produced on a scale that meets the demand for liquid biofuels, such as biodiesel, green diesel and jet fuel alternatives for use as high quality feedstocks. Other high yielding and prolific oilseed crops have been suggested as potential feedstocks, the most mature species and varieties, such as canola-type brassica or soybean, which produce edible oils that are costly relative to specialized biofuel feedstocks and also reduce the supply of edible oils.

For example, the conversion of canola or low mustard seed to large quantities of biofuel production may almost certainly result in altered land use to make up for the deficiency in edible oil production. In addition, the price premium associated with high quality edible oils is expected to push the price of canola feedstock for biofuels to a non-competitive level.

The oil of soybean, a cold season legume crop grown in north america, south america and most parts of asia, has been used as a feedstock for biofuels. As a source of edible oil, soybeans currently account for over 60% of U.S. edible oil consumption (data taken from table 20: U.S. local market annual oilseed and product supply and distribution, and table 21: U.S. local market annual soybean and product supply and distribution); (https:// apps.fas. Usda. Gov/psdonline/circulators/oils. Pdf). Competition between use as an edible oil or a biofuel feedstock has resulted in price fluctuations that are likely to reduce its economic prospects as a biofuel feedstock (Wisner 2010). Moreover, the consequences of the massive conversion of edible oils into biofuel applications almost certainly trigger indirect land use change emissions.

Palm oil is another major feedstock for biofuel production, and is grown in asia and south america. However, palm oil faces a great obstacle in many jurisdictions due to the land use changes that result from establishing palm plantations in sensitive ecosystems. The use of palm oil has been linked to a high degree of GHG emissions due to the large scale deforestation caused by the establishment of single crop palm plantations. Due to the producer's commitment to protect and maintain high value natural forests, so-called certified sustainable palm oil, or palm oil produced according to the standards of the sustainable palm oil round-table conference (RSPO), is distinguished from non-certified palm oil. However, the sustainable palm oil is much more expensive than unauthorised palm oil, which is disadvantageous for its use as a feedstock for biofuels.

The plant brassica carinata is a member of the family of Cruciferae (formerly Cruciferae) and is also known as carinata, brassica juncea, arabinania mustard (Abyssinian musard), africa Sarson and Gomenzer. In addition to the species Brassica carinata, the genus Brassica (Brassica) includes several important economic oilseed crop varieties: brassica juncea (b.juncea) (L), czern. (brown mustard), brassica napus L. (b.napus L.) (brassica campestris, argentine canola), black mustard (b.nigra) (L.). W.d.j.koch (black mustard), and brassica napus L. (b.rapa L.) (field mustard, polatoola canola), and also brassica oleracea L. (b.oleracea L.) -food crops including brassica rapa, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, and kale (kale). Six Brassica varieties are closely related genetically as described by Triangle of U (Nagaharu 1935). The eruca carinata includes the middle highland of eruca; however, recent efforts have taken advantage of the inherent genetic variation of Carinata to produce varieties that are prolific in a more diverse agricultural environment, including semi-arid regions or regions where marginal agricultural lands may predominate.

Eruca carinata produces an abundance of spherical seeds with a diameter of 1-1.5mm ((Mnzava and Schippers 2007), colors ranging from yellow to yellowish brown to brown (aleaw 1987, rahman and Tahir 2010) seeds are oil-rich, depending on the species and growth conditions, with an oil content of 37-44% based on the dry weight of the seed, the content of seed proteins is also high, 25-30% of the dry weight of the seed (Pan et al, 2012), unlike canola, which produces non-edible oils.

In spain and italy, carinata seed oil has been used as a biofuel (Cardone et al, 2002, cardone et al 2003, bouaid et al, 2005, gasol et al, 2007, gasol et al, 2009) and as a bio-industrial raw material with a variety of uses, i.e. in lubricants, paints, cosmetics, plastics. In north america, carinata has been evaluated as a biofuel feedstock (Drenth et al, 2014, drenth et al, 2015), and crude oil from the brassica carinata seed has been used to produce green or renewable diesel, biodiesel, and bio-jet fuel (Drenth et al, 2014). In 10 months 2012, the canadian national research council successfully performed experimental aviation flights using the first 100% bio-jet fuel in the world ("ReadiJet 100% bio-fuel flight-one of the 25 most important scientific events in 2012," mass science journal, 2012 (12)).

Western canada, blackshaw and coworkers compared whether several oilseed species are suitable as a source of FAME biodiesel (Blackshaw et al, 2011). In experiments conducted at 5 locations in the west of canada (during 2008-2009), yield and oil feedstock quality were evaluated for a number of oilseed species and varieties, including 3 canola varieties (including each of the brassica napus, brassica rapa, and brassica juncea canola types), eruca sativa, camelina sativa, oriental mustard (juncea)), yellow mustard (Sinapis alba), soybean, and flax. According to the results of these studies, over 1 year, only 1 of 9 positions produced more brassica napus canola (inspection line), which was the lowest overall yield in all items tested in these trials, while in terms of oil content, brassica napus was ranked the third lowest (higher than flavoured mustard and soybean only). However, it should be noted that in this study, the carinata varieties used were heterogeneous "normal" varieties, not commercial elite varieties.

In contrast, in 2012-2013, in a comparison of brassica oilseed varieties made in minnesota, gesch et al (2015) claimed that the new commercial carinata variety produced grain yields comparable to the commercial canola type brassica napus variety, while having aboveground biomass almost twice that of the brassica napus variety. Gesch et al teach that carinata crops have a lower seed to aboveground biomass ratio (harvest index) and suggest that breeding can provide room for improvement in grain yield. However, gesch et al do not teach that the higher biomass of Arabidopsis thaliana could provide benefits in terms of the potential to return additional carbon to the soil.

Johnson and colleagues showed that the yield of carinata grain and biomass was positively correlated with increased nitrogen fertilizer application, with maximum yield of straw and grain not reaching a steady level under the study conditions (up to 160-200kg N/ha depending on the experiment) (Johnson et al, 2013). It is believed that this suggests that high levels of nitrogen may be required for the production of carinata cereals; however, they claim to demonstrate that under the pre-existing conditions of high degree of soil nitrogen mineralization, high grain yields can be achieved without the addition of nitrogen fertilizers. On the other hand, johnson et al do not teach the potential positive effect of reducing the requirement for nitrogen fertilizer and carbon strength for carinata production including rotation of the Russian mustard with legume crops, such as lentils, peas or soybeans, which fix nitrogen and increase the degree of soil nitrogen mineralization.

As a first attempt to establish the carbon footprint of cultivated brassica carinata, GHG life cycle analysis was performed on a biological energy farming system for carinata based on the use of harvested whole aboveground biomass (including grain) as a lignocellulosic power generation system (Gasol et al, 2007). Gasol et al teach up to 631kg/ha of CO based on an estimate of the carbon associated with its extensive root system ₂ Can be transferred to the soil, relative to a baseline natural gas power generation system, which results in atmospheric CO ₂ The equivalent emissions were reduced by at most 71%. However, gasol et al do not consider the possibility of aboveground biomass return to return additional nutrients to the soil after harvesting and collecting the carinata grain, nor the use of the grain for feedstock extraction for use as biofuel and meal (meal) co-products for use as a high protein animal feed additive.

Although the references cited above indicate that brassica carinata may be a suitable specialty feedstock crop for biofuel production, it is not known how to produce such feedstock from carinata in various regions, soil conditions and crop rotation modes to achieve the lowest and most advantageous carbon strength of the biofuel pathway possible.

Disclosure of Invention

As a means of reducing dependence on fossil fuel use and the consequent increase in greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to sustainable agriculture, the invention described herein comprises a method of cultivating the species Brassica oleracea, a crop from which oil can be produced, the seeds being alternative to fossil fuelsRaw material for the production of biofuel, and also produces a high quality protein-rich meal by-product that can be used in commercial livestock feed rations. More specifically, the invention describes a cultivation method for producing crops using optimal agronomics and applying land management practices in a plurality of climatic regions and zones, allowing a substantial reduction of atmospheric CO with respect to an equivalent amount of fossil fuel ₂ And GHG emissions.

The Arabidopsis thaliana can be sustainably planted in a variety of environments to produce high quality biofuel feedstocks while simultaneously

a. Reducing GHG emissions associated with feedstock production and subsequent biofuel production;

b. increasing the carbon content in the cultivation soil;

c. providing conditions to increase crop yield from crop rotation; and is

d. This is achieved with little or no increase in land use.

These attributes may accumulate credits through schemes or plans aimed at assigning value to carbon emissions, such as the U.S. RFS plan and the european union RED plan. Such programs may also monetize the value of carbon produced during fuel production and utilization, in such a way as to reduce the current price difference between fossil fuels and alternative biofuels. The net result is the recognition of carbon as a primary commodity value. Similarly, as a crop that is being produced and is considered to be the source of a particular commodity (i.e., as a feedstock for biofuels), the concept of carinata is being replaced by a concept whose value represents the ideal balance of carbon release and carbon abatement. From this point of view, the production of carinata represents a new category of agricultural production, namely that which can be described as carbon agriculture.

The present invention provides cultivation of carinata in specific climates and soil regions as well as geographical regions using specific agricultural and land management practices, providing sustainable feedstocks for biofuels and feeds while providing a measurable benefit in a manner that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves soil structure, and improves performance of subsequent crops with carinata for rotation cultivation.

Unlike canola, eruca carinata produces non-edible oils and its production can be carried out on marginal land or as part of crop rotation, instead of summer or winter fallow, which will minimize displacement of grain crops with little or no change in land utilization.

In an embodiment, a method of growing a variety of Arabidopsis thaliana is provided to enable winter farming with short days in temperate or subtropical regions and summer farming with long days in dry regions in cold temperate regions.

In some embodiments, cultivation conditions are provided in which carinata is retained on previously cultivated land in place of fallow and rotation is performed before or after the legume, or cereal crop.

In other embodiments, agronomic and land management practices are provided for growing and harvesting the eruca sativa oilseed grains, including application of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, seed rate, and seed depth to obtain optimal grain and biomass.

In additional embodiments, land management practices for carinata cultivation are provided, such as returning above and below ground carinata plant biomass to the field to maximize soil carbon levels. The degree of carbon build-up that carinata can achieve is an unexpected finding. While other oilseed plants such as canola optimize grain yield by breeding for varieties that will put plant energy into seed production at the expense of biomass production, brassica carinata achieves both high levels of grain yield and biomass yield. The increased biomass so produced absorbs a large amount of carbon, which can then be returned to the soil after harvesting.

In other embodiments, conditions are provided for growing the brassica carinata to produce grain whose oil is used as a feedstock for biofuel (e.g., HVO) manufacture, while simultaneously producing meal that is a byproduct of oil recovery, with the protein, carbohydrate, fiber, and energy used as animal feed.

In other embodiments, methods of producing feedstock for use in the production of low carbon strength biofuels are provided. The carbon strength of the biofuel made using the feedstock produced in this way can be negative, promoting the reduction of greenhouse gases.

In some embodiments, when winter may be too severe to support cultivation of crops, the brassica carinata can be planted immediately after winter as part of rotation instead of spring/summer fallow, as permitted by soil temperature, typically after crop harvesting, before winter therebetween.

One aspect of the present invention provides a method, comprising:

a. planting a brassica carinata variety, crop rotation with the first crop using said brassica carinata variety as a second crop, or in place of fallow;

b. implementing land management practices to reduce the use of fossil fuel inputs and to maximize the capture of atmospheric carbon by the biomass of the predura brassica;

c. harvesting the brassica carinata variety to obtain grain; and is provided with

d. From about 70% to about 90% of all plant material in the brassica carinata variety, except for the grain, is returned to the soil.

In some embodiments, the method comprises planting a brassica carinata variety immediately after or concurrent with harvesting the first crop to effect continuous production of the crop without an intervening fallow period.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises processing the grain to produce oil, thereby using the oil as a feedstock for the production of low carbon strength biofuels.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises processing the grain such that a low fiber, protein-rich meal fraction remains after extraction of the oil fraction, which meal fraction can be used as a protein-rich feed additive for animal husbandry production.

In some embodiments, new crops that are not brassica carinata are planted immediately after or simultaneously with the harvest of brassica carinata without an intermediate fallow period, thus increasing the productivity of the land while adding additional carbon to the soil. As a result, the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture are reduced.

Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of cultivating brassica carinata, the method comprising:

a. planting the brassica carinata variety immediately after or concurrent with harvesting the first crop for continuous production of the crop without an intervening fallow period;

b. implementing land management practices to reduce the use of fossil fuel inputs and to maximize the capture of atmospheric carbon by the biomass of the brassica carinata variety;

c. harvesting the Arabidopsis thaliana variety to obtain grain,

d. returning to the soil from about 70% to about 90% of all plant material in the brassica carinata variety except for the grain,

e. planting a new crop immediately after or simultaneously with the harvest of the brassica carinata, the new crop being the same as or different from the first crop, but the new crop is not brassica carinata, without intervening periods of fallow,

f. processing the grain to produce oil, whereby the oil is used as a feedstock for the production of low carbon strength biofuels, and,

g. the grain is processed such that a low fiber, protein-rich meal fraction remains after extraction of the oil fraction, which can be used as a protein-rich feed additive for animal husbandry production.

Those skilled in the art of agricultural production generally understand that periods of fallow are a common practice in many areas. It is also generally understood by those skilled in the art that the fallow period may generally include leaving the land untreated for a period of time equal to the usual time for planting the first crop, or the fallow period may also include planting a cover crop to control water and soil loss or to help prevent the growth of undesirable vegetation (e.g., weeds). In each case, the term fallow is used in a broad sense to describe the period of time during which the land is not used to produce the first crop, but rather is capable of not planting a crop or planting a plant or crop that is used only to provide a plant covering on the ground. For each agricultural region, the time and duration of the fallow may vary due to climate and practice differences between regions, and this is generally apparent to those skilled in the agricultural arts; however, the term fallow describes a period of time when the land is considered non-productive.

There are many cover crops used during fallow, including wheat, rye, other grasses and even crops that produce oil from seeds, such as brassica napus, brassica juncea, camelina (Camelina), and Lesquerella. However, crops such as wheat, rye, and other grasses do not produce oil for low carbon strength fuels, while crops such as camelina sativa and Lesquerella do not produce significant levels of biomass, do not capture sufficient carbon, and do not retain greenhouse gases as do eruca sativa. For example, (Gesch et al, 2015) produced up to 2 times the biomass of Brassica napus and 4.5 times the biomass of camelina sativa under typical planting conditions of fallow commonly used, at most. In the present invention, we have demonstrated the unexpected beneficial result that the businella tarsa can replace the fallow period and add more carbon to the soil with the additional advantage of recovering grain that can be used to produce low carbon strength fuels.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method in which the practice of avoiding fallow and replacing fallow with brassica carinata maximizes the capture of atmospheric carbon added to the soil at harvest. These practices may include reducing fertilizer and reducing the use of additional water, such as irrigation. The unique properties of the brassica carinata, including enhanced resistance to extreme climatic changes, such as frost events or high temperature events, enable it to be cultivated in regions where other oilseed plants cannot grow or produce harvestable products (e.g., grains containing a high percentage of oil in the grain).

In conventional fallow programs, at the end of the fallow, the plant material grown during the fallow is simply tilled or killed with herbicides, and then incorporated into the soil. The present invention provides more favorable land utilization by the russia carinata biomass, provides more atmospheric carbon to the soil, and the following additional advantages: the grain containing oil useful for producing low carbon strength fuel is harvested.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method of producing grain for use in producing a vegetable oil feedstock for use in producing a low carbon strength fuel; a method for adding carbon to soil; and/or a method of obtaining carbon credits.

In some embodiments, a method of producing grain for producing a feedstock for a low carbon strength fuel is provided, wherein the method comprises:

a. planting a brassica carinata variety immediately after or concurrent with harvesting the first crop for continuous production of the crop without intervening fallow periods;

b. implementing land management practices to reduce the use of fossil fuel inputs and to maximize the capture of atmospheric carbon by the biomass of the brassica carinata;

c. harvesting the Arabidopsis thaliana variety to obtain grain;

e. processing the grain to recover oil and meal, and

f. converting the oil to a low carbon strength fuel and converting the meal to a high protein feed additive for livestock.

In other embodiments, there is provided:

1. a method of cultivating brassica carinata, the method comprising:

a. planting a brassica carinata variety as a second crop in rotation with the first crop or in lieu of fallow;

b. implementing land management practices to reduce the use of fossil fuel inputs and maximize the capture of atmospheric carbon by plant material of the brassica carinata variety;

c. harvesting the brassica carinata variety to obtain grain; and is

d. Returning to soil from about 70% to about 90% of all plant material in the brassica carinata variety other than the grain.

2. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising planting the brassica carinata variety immediately after or concurrent with harvesting the first crop for sequential crop production without intervening fallow periods.

3. The method of embodiment 1 or 2, further comprising processing the harvested grain to extract oil and produce a meal fraction.

4. The method of embodiment 3, further comprising using the oil as a feedstock for the production of low carbon strength biofuels.

5. The method of embodiment 4, wherein the carbon intensity value of the low carbon intensity biofuel is reduced by about 50 to about 200gCO relative to the carbon intensity value of a corresponding fuel from a fossil fuel feedstock _2eq /MJ。

6. The method of embodiment 4, wherein the production of the low-carbon-strength biofuel results in a reduction in GHG emissions by about 60% to about 400% over its life cycle relative to GHG emissions resulting from production of a corresponding fuel from a fossil fuel feedstock.

7. The method of embodiment 3, further comprising producing a protein-enriched feed additive from the meal fraction, the feed additive for animal husbandry production.

8. The method of any of embodiments 1-7, further comprising planting a new crop that is the same as or different from the first crop immediately after or simultaneously with the harvest of the brassica carinata, but which is not the brassica carinata, without an intervening fallow period.

9. The method of any one of embodiments 1-8, wherein the method further comprises sequestering carbon in the soil.

10. Embodiments 1 to 9The method of, wherein the method sequesters about 0.5 to about 5 tons of CO per hectare per year ₂ Into the soil.

11. The method of any of embodiments 1-10, wherein the land management practice comprises practicing no-tillage, low-tillage, or intertillage.

12. The method of any one of embodiments 1-11, wherein the land management practice comprises not irrigating or reducing irrigation as compared to the amount of normal irrigation required for another oilseed crop in the same growing environment.

13. The method of any of embodiments 1-12, wherein the land management practice comprises reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer as compared to the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer in a growing environment for arabidopsis thaliana.

14. The method of embodiment 13, comprising reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer to between about 40% and about 100% of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer by arabidopsis thaliana in a growing environment.

15. The method of embodiment 13, comprising reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer to between about 40% and about 90% of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer by arabidopsis thaliana in a growing environment.

16. The method of embodiment 13, comprising reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer to between about 50% and about 70% of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer by arabidopsis thaliana under growing conditions.

17. The method of any one of embodiments 1-12, wherein the land management practice comprises using manure to provide from about 20% to about 100% of the nitrogen fertilizer required to cultivate brassica carinata.

18. The method of any one of embodiments 1-12, wherein the land management practice comprises using manure to provide from about 30% to about 90% of the nitrogen fertilizer required to cultivate brassica carinata.

19. The method of any one of embodiments 1-12, wherein the land management practice comprises using manure to provide from about 40% to about 80% of the nitrogen fertilizer required to cultivate brassica carinata.

20. The method of any one of embodiments 1-12, wherein the land management practice comprises using manure to provide from about 50% to about 75% of the nitrogen fertilizer required to cultivate brassica carinata.

21. The method of any one of embodiments 17-20, wherein the manure is chicken manure, cattle manure, or sheep manure.

22. The method of any of embodiments 1-21, wherein the brassica carinata variety is typically planted on the land during a period of fallow of the land.

23. The method of any one of embodiments 1-22, wherein there is little or no change in land use.

24. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a legume crop.

25. The method of embodiment 24, wherein the legume crop is a bean (bean), pea, lentil, soybean, peanut, or alfalfa.

26. The method of embodiment 24, wherein the legume crop is a peanut, lentil, or soybean.

27. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a cereal crop.

28. The method of embodiment 27, wherein the cereal crop is wheat, barley, rye, oats or maize.

29. The method of embodiment 27, wherein the cereal crop is wheat or corn.

30. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is cotton or sesame.

31. The method of any of embodiments 1-30, wherein the growing environment is located in a tropical humid climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer.

32. The method of any of embodiments 1-30, wherein the growing environment is located in a tropical humid climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in spring for harvesting in summer or fall.

33. The method of embodiment 31, wherein the first crop is cotton or sesame.

34. The embodiment of embodiment 30 or 31 wherein the first crop is a legume crop or a cereal crop.

35. The method of embodiment 34, wherein the legume crop is a peanut, lentil, or soybean.

36. The method of embodiment 34, wherein the cereal crop is corn or wheat.

37. The method of any of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a legume crop, the growing environment is located in a warm and humid climate area, and the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer.

38. The method of embodiment 37, wherein the legume crop is a peanut, lentil, or soybean.

39. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a cereal crop, the growing environment is in a warm and humid climate area, and the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in spring or summer to harvest in autumn or winter.

40. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a cereal crop, the growing environment is in a warm-banded dry climate region, and the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer.

41. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a cereal crop, the growing environment is in a temperate dry climate area, and the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in spring for harvest in summer or fall.

42. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a cereal crop, the growing environment is in a temperate humid climate area, and the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in spring for harvest in summer or fall.

43. The method of any one of embodiments 1-23, wherein the first crop is a cereal crop, the growing environment is in a tropical dry climate region, and the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer.

44. The method of any one of embodiments 39-43, wherein the cereal crop is corn or wheat.

45. The method of any of embodiments 1-44, wherein the method results in 0.5 to about 5 tons of CO in the sequestered soil ₂ Ha/year.

46. The method of any of embodiments 1-45, wherein the harvesting is performed by a combine harvester.

47. The method of embodiment 46, wherein the harvesting is performed by direct association.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows the steps for producing HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) from cultivated Arabidopsis grain within the "well-to-tank" system boundary of the BioGrace GHG emission calculator. The allocation factor for the first three steps is 0.613. The yield of HVO was 0.58MJ/MJ carinata seeds.

Definition of

In the following specification, examples and tables, a number of terms are used. To facilitate a clear and consistent understanding of the present invention, the following definitions are provided.

Biofuels are fuels produced from feedstocks derived from biological (plant, animal or bacterial) hydrocarbon sources, as opposed to fuels derived from fossil sources. Types of biofuels are divided into

a. First generation: typically, the first generation biofuels are biomass derived fuels obtained from food crops, for example, ethanol produced by fermentation of starch and sugar or biodiesel produced by transesterification of edible vegetable oils.

b. And (4) second generation: second generation biofuels are fuels made from biomass derived from dedicated non-food energy crops or from feedstock derived from the harvest residue of food crops. The former is the feedstock oil for specialized energy crops such as jatropha curcas, while the latter includes lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose from corn stover, sugar cane bagasse, and the like.

c. Advanced or third generation biofuel, biofuel produced from algae feedstock.

Biomass is broadly defined as an organically derived material that includes living or recently living organisms. The biomass of an above-ground plant includes the total biomass associated with the portion of the plant above the soil surface at the time of sampling. Similarly, the subterranean plant biomass includes the total biomass associated with the plant portion below the soil surface at the time of sampling. Thus, total plant biomass is defined as the sum of the biomass on the time of the sample and all the biomass below ground.

Carbon Intensity (CI) refers to the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by a unit quantity of fuel over its life cycle, as compared to the amount of energy produced by the combustion of the unit fuel. GHG production was determined by in-depth Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) which enumerates all GHG emissions released in units of fuel production and utilization. For biofuels, this would include emissions due to all of the following: growing crops and subsequently transporting harvested material, subsequently converting the harvested material into fuel feedstock, transportation and storage of feedstock, production of fuel from feedstock, storage and distribution of fuel until final use of the fuel. CI is reported as the mass of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emitted per unit energy contained in the fuel in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of energy produced (gCO) ₂ e/MJ)。

Carinata refers to the seed or plant of the species Brassica Carinata, which comprises the B genome from Brassica nigra and comprises the C genome from Brassica oleracea (Nagahuru, 1935).

The term cereal or cereal crop refers to grasses cultivated for obtaining their grain, which includes, but is not limited to, barley, corn, oats, rice, rye, and wheat.

In this context, the terms climate zones, climate refer to geographical divisions of the earth's surface which demarcate areas according to the similarity of historical average temperatures, precipitation and seasonal variations. The climate zones used in the present application originate from the climate zones described in the european union document "communication DECISION of 10 June 2010 on guidelines for the calculation of land vehicle stocks for the purpose of the expression of Annex V to Directive 2009/28/EC", which are established on the basis of climate zones established by IPCCs (IPCC 2006,2006 IPCC national greenhouse gas inventory guidelines, prepared by national greenhouse gas inventory plans, eggleston HS, buendia l. The zones are defined in terms of altitude, annual average temperature (MAT), annual average precipitation (MAP), the ratio of annual average precipitation to potential evapotranspiration, and the commonality of the occurrence of frost. There are 12 climatic regions: tropical mountain land; tropical dampness; wetting the tropical zone; drying the tropical zone; moistening a warm zone; drying in a warm zone; moistening cold temperate zone; drying in cold temperate zone; wetting northern hemisphere; drying northern hemispheres; polar wetting, and polar drying (as described in table 2 below).

Table 2: IPCC climate zone definition

Combine refers to a process of harvesting and collecting seed pods from mature crops, threshing the seed pods to release the seeds (grain), and thrashing the now empty seed pods, stems and branches (collectively referred to as chaff) to separate and recover the grain therefrom. These operations, once distinct, are nowadays often "combine harvesting" by using multifunctional mechanized equipment (appropriately called "combine" harvesters).

Cover crops are annual plants that are grown to enrich or improve the soil. The function of the cover plants is to prevent soil degradation due to erosion and nutrient leaching in the root zone of the root crop. Cover crops can also help preserve soil moisture, act as reservoirs to hold soil nutrients, improve soil structure by increasing soil carbon content, and act as disease disruptors (breaks) to prevent persistence of plant pathogens. Depending on its nature, a cover crop is grown within one season to protect or improve the potential of the soil, supporting the next season crop growth. Generally, cover crops are not planted in the hope of obtaining harvestable materials with inherent economic value, such as the ability to produce food, fuel or fiber. In contrast, plant material produced by mulching crops is often incorporated into soil during or at the end of their life cycle. In contrast, the eruca carinata, while having similar benefits to soil and subsequent crops, can harvest after harvesting an oil-rich grain that can be processed into production feedstock for the production of biofuels, as well as a protein-rich meal that can be used in animal feed, which can bring immediate economic returns to the farmer.

And (3) cultivation: cultivation refers to the conditions for sowing, maintenance and harvesting of crops. For carinata, factors for cultivation include the following:

a. sowing time: carinata is a medium and long term crop requiring a slightly longer growing season than other mustard types. Thus, the best effect can be obtained by sowing as early as possible. The ideal seeding date depends largely on geographical location and weather. However, in general, the soil should be at least 40F or higher prior to planting.

i. Canadian grassland and american north line (northern tier): typical planting occurs in the spring from the first of 4 months to late 5 months.

Southeast united states: typical planting occurs in the fall between months 10 and 11.

South america (yerba mate): the optimal planting time is in the fall or winter (i.e., typically between the first 5 months and the end of 6 months).

b. Sowing: the soil type and the history of previous cultivations affect the type of cultivation required to prepare the seedbed. Reduced or minimal tillage can increase water conservation, improve soil organic matter, fuel efficiency, and enhance erosion control. Carinata may be planted in conventional or rarely cultivated soil, or it may be planted no-till in stubbles. The seeding rate is performed to achieve a plant density of 80-180 plants per square meter. The Arabidopsis thaliana may be seeded at a constant depth of 0.5-5.0cm, for example at a depth of 1.35-2.5 cm.

c. Fertility: carinata requires similar fertility to other mustard and canola. Sufficient nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur are required to achieve their true yield potential. Manure may be used as a source of organic nitrogen to replace some or all of the inorganic nitrogen recommended for the growth of brassica carinata in specific soil ingredients. The fertilization rate is changed along with the change of the fertility of the growing area and the land.

d. Carinatata may be planted in conventional cultivated soil species where conventional cultivation or full-cultivation involves a large number of soil inversions that are repeated many times a year, so that little plants remain on the surface of the soil when sown. Alternatively, carinata is planted in soil maintained according to protective farming practices, whereby the extent and frequency of its farming is greatly reduced relative to conventional farming (so-called intertillage or low-tillage soil management), or may be planted in stubbles without tillage. In the following definition of land management practices, a more complete description of each farming practice is provided.

e. Moisture content: carinatata requires sufficient soil moisture at sowing and emergence for good seedling, but can thereafter tolerate moisture reduction and withstand well the semi-arid mid-summer conditions of southern Canada grassland.

f. Temperature: carinata is a temperate climate crop, but has adapted to the more extreme conditions experienced in southern grassland in Canada and in the North line, U.S. State. Carinata can recover from short term frost conditions during initial forest land formation and is more heat tolerant during flowering and seed set than other Brassica oilseed plants.

g. Herbicide: carinata is an aggressive crop and if it is able to set seedlings well (estabilish) it will be more competitive than many weeds. However, if certain weed species are allowed to set seedlings early and persist, they can affect the quality and yield of all crops, including carinata. Examples of weeds that can adversely affect carinata yield and quality include cochia, wild mustard and wild radish. Thus, weed management is an important aspect of modern agricultural practice, which includes several different but complementary methods, including physical methods of weed removal prior to planting, such as field cultivation, farming, and field weeding, and utilizations before setting seedlings and/or being able to set and release seedsChemical agents or herbicides to inhibit or kill weed species. Herbicides are a class of pesticides that contain a large number of chemical compounds that interfere in some way with specific biological processes of plants, thereby hindering their growth and survival. Herbicides are classified according to the biological process of their interaction. It may include agents that inhibit lipid biosynthesis, inhibit amino acid biosynthesis, hormone regulation of plant growth, inhibit photosynthesis, inhibit nitrogen metabolism, inhibit plant pigment biosynthesis or function, disrupt cell membranes, and inhibit seedling growth (Sherwani et al, 2015). In general, different compounds and classes of herbicides may exhibit varying degrees of efficacy against certain weed species. In addition, some crops exhibit greater tolerance to certain classes of herbicides than others. Thus, the particular herbicide used to control weeds in a particular geographical area may depend on the nature of the crop being cultivated and the primary weeds encountered in that area. Thus a particular herbicide may be designated for use in crops based on its performance record and its demonstrated ability to control related weeds without significantly affecting crop yield. The registered usage also specifies the specific application method of the herbicide, including recommended herbicide concentration, use of appropriate diluents, adjuvants, surfactants, etc., mode of application (i.e., sprays versus granules), time of application at the appropriate crop stage to ensure minimal damage to the crop, time of application and number of applications to ensure optimal weed control, location of application (foliar or soil application), recommended weather conditions to achieve optimal weed control. (https://agrisoma.com/ckfinder/ userfiles/files/2017_18_SE_Handbook.pdf) Some of the recommended herbicides for the southeast american brassica carinata are listed. The foregoing is illustrative and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

h. Fungicides constitute a class of pesticides that contain various chemical agents that can prevent or reduce the severity of plant infestation by pathogenic fungi. Like herbicides, there are many types of fungicides. FRAC (fungicide resistance action committee;http://www.frac.info/home) According to the different biochemical pathways aimed at by one class of fungicides, classes 12 and 13 are listed, including fungicides whose mode of action is unknown. Fungicides are also distinguished by their mode of delivery and site of action: some fungicides are sprayed onto the surface of plants, while others are applied to the surface of the soil in granular form or as a liquid flooding the surface of the soil. Fungicides applied to the soil are often absorbed by the roots and transported through the xylem to all plant tissues. Foliar fungicides can be topical, i.e. they protect only the surfaces in contact with them, systemic, i.e. they are absorbed by the upper plant surface and then transported by the xylem to all above ground tissues, or part systemic, i.e. they can be absorbed locally, but only transported over short distances to protect a surface slightly wider than the point of onset of fungicide contact. Moreover, as with herbicides, there is a fungicide registration system that limits the use of specific fungicides to applications for specific crops and fungal diseases, where the applications prove to be most effective and safe. Fungal diseases of brassica oilseed crops can reduce the yield and quality of harvested grain. Depending on the nature and severity of the fungal pathogen infection, its effect can range from mild to complete crop loss. Fungicides can help mitigate the risk of loss due to fungal infection, but the cost of spraying fungicides is so high that cost-effectiveness and risk assessment type analysis needs to be performed before a decision is made. Examples of fungal diseases in Brassica and Brassica oilseed plants with significant economic impact include

i. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (sclerotiotinia stem rot) is caused by fungi, which spores infect brassica mainly at the flowering stage, and the occurrence of infection is associated with a high humidity stage. It forms lesions on the stem that eventually kill the plant. Fungicides that control the severity of infection can be used, but must be used at specific times in the plant life cycle (i.e., early to mid-anthesis) to achieve optimal results. Multiple administrations are generally required over this period of time.

Alternaria is a fungal disease of brassica plants, although mature plants are more susceptible to infection, alternaria affects all growth stages of a plant from early seedling to maturity. The most serious economic impact is on grain yield and quality. Foliar fungicides applied at a post-anthesis stage are an effective method to mitigate the more detrimental effects of the disease on grain yield and quality.

Blackfoot is a fungal disease of brassica oilseed crops that infects plants at all stages, but the consequences of early infection are more severe, often resulting in necrotic lesions in the lower stem of the plant, effectively severing the plant at the bottom. The application of fungicides at the early growth stage of the plant is only partially effective and has less protective effect.

Clubroot is a soil-borne fungus that affects the roots of brassica oilseed crops. Spores can exist in soil for a long time, and no effective sterilization treatment method exists at present. Rotation may need to be used for management and this limits the planting frequency of brassica.

i. Insecticides are a third class of pesticidal compounds intended to reduce or eliminate crop losses due to insects preying on the crop. Like herbicides and fungicides, insecticides are classified according to their mode of action and the biochemical pathway that they target. The action committee for insecticide resistance (IRAC;http://www.irac-online.org) One classification scheme advocated (IRAC MoA) lists class 29 insecticides, grouped by common biochemical processes and pathways to which insecticide compounds are targeted. Like herbicides and fungicides, the function and persistence of insecticides can also be influenced by their site of action, i.e. whether they are active only on the surface of the applied plant, or whether they act as systemic agents. Because of some of the unique aspects of their insect biology, classes can be further distinguished depending on whether some insecticides exhibit selectivity for a particular insect type. In view of the beneficial roles that certain insects play, such as controlling plant pests, acting as pollinating insects for plants, and improving the nutrient content of soil, it is important not to apply pesticides at will, but to somehow limit their action to the desired target species. Thus, for exampleThe time of application, the amount and route of application, and the type of insecticide used and the limitations of the crops that can be used are all incorporated into the registered use standards for insecticides to ensure their safety and effectiveness. Examples of insect species that may have a significant negative economic impact on yield and grain quality of brassica and brassica oil seed crops are listed below:

j. flea beetles are very common pests of brassica oilseeds and mustard crop species, feeding on leaves and stems. When flea beetles are present at the early stages of crop growth, they can cause severe thinning of the crop's woodland (stand), which ultimately has a significant impact on grain yield. There are some insecticide products that can be used as foliar sprays, which are effective in controlling early infestation.

k. Adult plutella xylostella will lay eggs on the surface of brassica oilseeds and mustard leaves and hatch, and the resulting larvae will attack the leaves and stems of the crop. Larvae in later hatched eggs will also feed on the seed pods. The most influential damage is initiated from the early stages of the plant, since the life cycle of moths can last several generations in the typical brassica oilseed crop season, resulting in an increasing period of damage to the crop. In this case, the application of the insecticide is most effective when the larvae are first found early in the season.

Adult and juvenile Cabbage seed pod weevils (Cabbage seed weevils), both of which can cause significant damage to brassica oilseed crops, primarily by impairing flowering and development of the seed pods. Adults will feed on the flower buds, seriously weakening the flower buds and making them more susceptible to damage and loss by heat. Adults lay eggs in seed pods, while larvae feed on developing seeds. When the larvae mature into adults, they emerge from the pods and continue to feed on the seeds through the pod walls. The application of insecticides early in the flowering phase is necessary to control primary insults to halt secondary infections.

Seed treatment: in general, specific fungicides and insecticides can be formulated with chemical agents and binders as compositions that can be applied to the surface of seeds. This seed treatment forms a stable coating on the seed surface. The treated seeds can then be packaged and sold to farmers. When the seeds are subsequently planted, the fungicides and insecticides will be present in optimal doses to allow the germinating plants to resist the weakest, early season insect and fungal infestation of the plant and allow the plants to form better and stronger woodland. Benefits include an increase in potential crop yield and a reduction in the need for early spray.

Emission intensity is the average emission rate of a given pollutant from a given source relative to the intensity of a particular activity. As a specific example, carbon strength is the carbon (usually in CO) released during energy (expressed in megajoules) generation ₂ In grams) is used.

Fallow refers to the practice of agriculture in which crops or vegetation-poor agricultural land are placed for one or more growing seasons after the land has been densely cultivated for a period of time. The goal of fallow is to increase the likelihood of obtaining better crop yield in the next season. The fallow season provides the farmers with an opportunity to solve the field weed problem. Weeds can be allowed to grow in fallow fields and then eradicated by physical means or herbicide treatment. Can be repeated several times in one fallow season, and thus can deplete the weed seed bank more efficiently than before sowing, during tillage and after harvesting. The fallow period may also benefit the soil by allowing the soil to accumulate moisture instead of the moisture consumed by the preceding crop. During fallow, plant residues from the preceding crops and organic material of the roots can be more thoroughly decomposed, further benefiting the soil by improving its structure and nutrient content. The fallow period also allows soil microorganisms and other soil organisms to replenish their numbers, and disruptions in crop production can also deplete specific plant pathogens that depend on the crop species as hosts. While those skilled in the art will appreciate that periods of fallow established in crop rotation can provide substantial benefits to the health and yield of subsequent and future crops, it will also be appreciated that in the short term, fallow does not provide farmers with the opportunity to obtain economic returns from commercial crops. In contrast, growing the brassica carinata in fallow as a cover crop can provide many of the soil and crop benefits described above, but also has the additional benefit of providing farmers with the possibility of obtaining significant economic returns from harvesting valuable oilseed grain species. Growing brassica carinata in fallow as a cover crop is also environmentally friendly by providing a feedstock for low carbon strength biofuel production, and by capturing and transferring significant amounts of carbon into the soil to provide opportunities to offset life cycle GHG emissions.

As used herein, feedstock refers to oil derived from pressing oilseeds, which has been roughly purified to make it a suitable and sufficient initial raw material for production of biofuel by a particular process.

Fertilizers (inorganic, chemical, mineral) are artificial nutrients added to the soil by farmers/producers to supplement existing soil-based nutrients with the aim of optimizing the growth, yield and performance of cultivated plants and crops. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are the major element macronutrients in fertilizers. Chemical components commonly used as chemical fertilizers include, but are not limited to:

nitrogen fertilizers: ammonia (NH) ₃ ) Sodium nitrate (NaNO) ₃ ) Ammonium Nitrate (NH) ₄ NO ₃ ) Calcium ammonium nitrate (Ca (NO) ₃ ) ₂ NH ₄ NO ₃ ) Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate or MAP (NH) ₄ H ₂ PO ₄ ) Diammonium hydrogen phosphate or DAP ((NH) ₄ ) ₂ HPO ₄ ) And urea (CO (NH) ₂ ) ₂ )。

Phosphate fertilizer: phosphorus pentoxide (P) ₂ O ₅ ) Superphosphate or OSP (calcium dihydrogen phosphate or Ca (H) ₂ PO ₄ ) ₂ ) Phosphate rock, MAP and DAP

A potassium fertilizer: potash, potassium oxide (K) ₂ O), potassium chloride (KCl), potassium nitrate (KNO) ₃ ) Potassium sulfate (K) ₂ SO ₄ ) Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH) ₂ PO ₄ ) And dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (K) ₂ HPO ₄ )。

Although the chemical forms of N, P and K in the fertilizers may vary, in order to compare fertilizers containing three elements in different forms, the proportions thereof were normalized as follows: the nitrogen content is expressed as elemental nitrogen and the phosphorus content is expressed as P ₂ O ₅ Expressed in terms of equivalents, the potassium content is expressed in K ₂ The O equivalent is expressed in the form of. The conversion factor may convert the weights of the different mineral forms to appropriate standard weights. Measuring the pre-existing nutrient content in the soil prior to sowing is the most reliable method of determining the optimum fertilization level. Over-fertilization (fertilization levels beyond crop demand and soil nutrient content) is not recommended for several reasons. Typically, the additional costs incurred from applying excess fertilizer do not translate into an increase in crop yield to cover the additional costs. Also, excess nutrients can have a detrimental effect on crop growth. For example, in brassica oilseed crops excess nitrogen after bolting can lead to excessive leaf growth, but disrupts flowering and seed set. In addition, excess nitrogen-based fertilizer may be released from the soil, either as a material to be submerged in groundwater, or subsequently into waterways or directly volatilized. Such leached and/or volatilized material can be converted to N by an indirect process ₂ O (see below), resulting in GHG emissions. Excess nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer that is submerged from the soil into groundwater can enter fresh water (lakes and rivers) to a level sufficient or to cause eutrophication and deoxidation, resulting in damage to the aquatic environment.

By grain in reference to the Arabidopsis thaliana is meant seed harvested at maturity and sold as an oil and meal product source.

Greenhouse gases (GHG), which are a subset of gaseous by-products emitted by man-made sources such as combustion of hydrocarbon fuels or release of volatile components in hydrocarbon-containing products, increase global warming by facilitating capture of radiant solar energy in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gas is mainly CO ₂ (carbon dioxide), CH ₄ (methane), N ₂ O (dinitrogen oxide) and CFC (chlorofluorocarbon). CFCs are a class of compounds used in aerosol propellants and refrigerants whose emissions are often the result of direct release. N is a radical of ₂ O emissions can be generated by the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels and release from applied fertilizers. The most important GHG is CO ₂ 、CH ₄ And N ₂ And O. GHG according to its global warmingPotential (GWP) or ability to focus on stimulating global warming. N if their relative contribution to global warming (global warming potential) is compared on a unit weight basis ₂ Potency ratio of O to CO ₂ 265 times greater, and CH ₄ Potency ratio of (A) to (B) CO ₂ 28 times greater (values taken from IPCC fifth assessment report: IPCC,2014]. IPCC, geneva, switzerland, 151 pp). In light of the above relative effectiveness, GHG emissions are typically CO ₂ Equivalent emissions (combining and normalizing three GHGs released in energy production versus CO ₂ The effect of (c) is displayed. GHG emissions and their impact on global warming are often associated with the burning of fossil fuels, but GHG can also be released by burning biomass-based fuels. In the latter case, GHG emissions are offset by carbon dioxide absorbed by plant and crop photosynthesis.

Herein, harvesting or harvesting refers to the act of collecting plant parts that have fully matured during the growing season, which have value as a source of food, feed, fiber, raw materials, structural materials, or as propagules of the plant itself. Desirably, at the time of seed maturity (seed, pods and stems change from green to yellow, seed moisture 9.5% or less), carinata is harvested, for example, by mechanical harvesting. Carinata can be harvested by direct cutting, or by cutting in the early stage, drying it naturally or with a desiccant, and then combining the dried swaths (swath), as desired. canola tends to tip over ("lodging") at maturity and is typically "cut sun" prior to combine harvesting. By cut-sunning is meant cutting canola near the base of the plant and leaving the plant flat in the field for several days to bring the grain to the appropriate dryness. Once dried, the swath is then harvested by combine harvesting. Another variation, called "pushing", is similar to the mowing except that the plants are pushed aside and allowed to dry for several days before the combined harvest is performed. For all these variants of harvesting, the most common isThe final stage is combine harvesting. However, carinata has stronger stalks relative to canola, so a better way to harvest carinata is to combine it directly at maturity, rather than first harvesting or pushing followed by combine harvesting. Direct combine harvesting allows harvesting to be performed in a single pass across the rows of the field. Due to the reduced fuel usage, a single harvest produces less CO than a combine harvest as opposed to harvesting or pushing ₂ 。

Harvest index (Hay, 1995) refers to a measure of the ratio between the weight of grain harvested from a mature plant and the weight of remaining above-ground plant material, which may include stems and branches, remaining related leaves and empty seed pods (chaff).

Land Use Change (LUC): the term land use change as used in the context of environmental science refers to a change that results in a significant change in stored carbon with accompanying atmospheric CO ₂ And other land use changes with changes in GHG levels. LUC causes CO ₂ And examples of increased GHG emissions include reclaiming forests to increase the arable land available for agricultural production, and reclaiming grasslands to increase the arable land available for agricultural production. Cause CO in the atmosphere ₂ And reduced GHG levels include restoring the native state of previously cultivated land.

Land management practice: for the purposes of this application, the term "land management practice," for a given land utilization, refers to practices or changes that affect soil carbon levels, nutrient levels, and water levels, which may also alter atmospheric CO ₂ And other GHG levels. These practices or variations may include: the type of farming practice used and the manner of treatment of the crop residue, the type and amount of fertilizer (or other input), and the particular crop rotation or fallow season utilized. The land management and types of land inputs can be found in table 3 of the EC document, entitled: a COMMISON DECISION of 10 June 2010 on guides for the calculation of land carbon stocks for the purpose of the pure of Annex V to Directive 2009/28/EC, comprising

i. Full tillage: fully inverted and/or frequently (within a year) tilled, operations with severe soil disturbances. When sown, almost no surface (e.g. < 30%) is covered by residue;

reducing tillage: primary and/or secondary farming, but with reduced soil disturbance (usually shallow and without complete soil inversion), typically leaves >30% of the residue covering the surface when planted;

no tillage (or no tillage): direct seeding without primary tillage and with minimal soil interference in the seeding area. Herbicides are commonly used for weed control;

low tillage (or reduced tillage): low residue return due to residue removal (by collection or burning), frequent bare-fallow, production of low residue yielding crops (e.g., vegetables, tobacco, cotton), no mineral fertilizers or nitrogen fixation crops;

intertillage (or medium tillage): representative of annual cropping of cereal crops, all crop residues are returned to the field. If the residue is removed, supplemental organic matter (e.g., manure) is added. Mineral fertilization or crop rotation is also needed for nitrogen fixation crops;

high and using manure: due to the additional practice of adding animal manure periodically, the carbon input is significantly higher compared to medium carbon input farming systems;

high but without manure: the input of crop residues is significantly increased compared to medium carbon input farming systems, but without manure, due to additional practices such as production of high residue yield crops, use of green manure, cover crops, improved fallow of vegetation, irrigation, frequent use of perennial grasses in annual crop rotation.

Leguminous (Legumes) crops (leguminous crops) are plants of the leguminous (Fabaceae or Leguminosae) family, which are grown mainly for their cereals; in its dried form, it is called legume (pulse). Beans are also forage grass. An important feature of legume crops is that their roots have a specific evolved structure, called root nodules, which can be symbiotic with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. These commensal bacteria confer upon the legume crop the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen as ammonia, which the plant subsequently uses for amino acid and protein biosynthesis. When the plant dies, the nitrogen stored as protein returns to the soilEarth and finally converted into NO ₃ And then provided to other plants.

Lifecycle evaluation (LCA) is a "systematic procedure for compiling and examining material and energy inputs and outputs, and the associated environmental impacts directly attributed to the functioning of a product or service system throughout its lifecycle" (ISO 14040.2 draft: lifecycle evaluation-principles and guidelines). "LCA is a technique for evaluating potential environmental aspects as well as potential aspects related to a product (or service) by compiling a catalog of related inputs and outputs, assessing potential environmental impacts related to those inputs and outputs, and interpreting the results of the catalog and impact stages with respect to research targets" (ISO 14040.2 draft: life cycle evaluation-principles and guidelines). Aspects of LCA include:

functional units define and define the content under study, the process steps involved, specify the appropriate inputs and outputs, and provide the basis for comparison between alternative fuels, fuel manufacturing processes, or raw materials.

System boundaries define which processes should be included in the analysis of a particular system: for the transportation of fuels, the most common system boundary is called well-to-wheel, and it includes all steps of extraction, processing, transportation, storage, distribution of the feedstock and combustion at the automotive engine. A variation of the well-to-wheel system is the "well-to-tank" which includes all the steps of the well-to-wheel system except that the fuel is burned in the automobile engine.

The dispensing method is used for discharge during dispensing when one or several co-products are produced in the process together with the main product. One specific example of a distribution method is the distribution of bio-fuels from well to tank analysis from the oilseed plant until the oil is extracted from the oilseed. In the biogace model employed herein, the following facts are taken into account: the pressing of oilseeds produces not only oil (biofuel) but also a protein-rich meal by-product. The partition factor, which reflects the energy proportion associated with the oil portion of the oilseed in terms of the Lower Heating Value (LHV) of the oil, is applied to the discharge of all processes before the oilseed is processed into separated meal and oil. After separation of the oil and the meal, all energy usage and discharge is distributed to the oil, while the meal does not contribute.

Herein, a low carbon strength biofuel or low CI biofuel is a biofuel whose production results in lower carbon strength than the corresponding petroleum-based fuel according to one or more renewable fuel regulations. For example, using the values listed in Table 1 by DeJong et al, the CI value for a low CI biofuel according to European Union-RED would be 83.8g CO _2eq Below MJ, and according to U.S. RFS, the CI value for low CI biodiesel will be 91.8g CO _2eq and/MJ or less.

Herein, a low GHG biofuel is a biofuel that produces lower GHG emissions than the corresponding fossil based fuel, as determined using one or more LCA models, in accordance with one or more renewable fuel regulations.

Macronutrients are referred to herein as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulfur (S). Nitrogen is a major component of amino acids, proteins and chlorophyll, primarily promoting leaf and leaf growth. Phosphorus in DNA/RNA polymers, nucleoside precursors and coenzymes, membrane phospholipids, etc., is required for root and flower formation, as well as for seed and fruit development and maturation. Potassium is an important regulator of water movement, bloating, flowering and fruiting.

In this context, manure is organic matter derived primarily from animal manure, which can be used as fertilizer in agriculture. Manure enhances soil fertility by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, which are utilized by bacteria, fungi and other organisms in the soil. Most animal manure consists of manure. One common form of animal manure is farmyard manure (FYM), which may comprise plant material, typically straw, that has been used as bedding for animals and has absorbed manure and urine. Manure from different animals has different qualities and requires different application rates when used as fertilizer. For example, goat manure is high in nitrogen and potash and cow manure is a good source of nitrogen and organic carbon. The nitrogen and the phosphorus in the chicken manure are concentrated.

Maturity is defined as the stage at which the filling of the pod seeds has been completed, the green color of the pods and seeds has faded, and the moisture of the seeds is below 9%. At this point, most, if not all, of the leaves have fallen, the stalks and stems all turn yellow, and the plant is considered dead.

Micronutrient: in addition to the major macronutrients (N, P and K), minor macronutrients, including calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) as well as trace amounts of micronutrients (e.g. boron, copper, iron, manganese, zinc) may also contribute to the optimal growth and yield of the plant.

N ₂ And (4) discharging: the managed agricultural soil can release nitrous oxide (N) ₂ O), dinitrogen oxide is a specific CO ₂ A strong greenhouse gas with activity 265 times higher. The dinitrogen oxide can be released directly or indirectly. Direct discharge of nitrous oxide may result from nitrification and denitrification of nitrogen in the soil by microorganisms. Nitrogen in the soil may originate from the application of synthetic N fertilizers (urea, ammonia or nitrate based), organic fertilizers (ground cover, manure), waste of natural animals or poultry (manure/urine), decomposition of plant/crop residues, continuous mineralization/demineralization of organic matter in the soil. The indirect dinitrogen oxide release results from a multi-step process. The first step involves the discharge of ammonia or nitrate/nitrite (NOx) -based gases into the atmosphere. These emissions may originate from a variety of sources: direct volatilization of nitrogen-containing compounds from synthetic fertilizers, organic fertilizers or animal waste; combustion of plant waste/crop debris; and combustion of farm machinery fuels. The second step involves these atmospheric nitrogen compounds (ammonium, NO) _X ) Deposited by rainfall, for example, on the surface of the soil or water body, and the last step involves the final conversion to N by denitrification/nitrification ₂ O and vented to atmosphere. Secondary sources of ammonium and NOx from indirect nitrogen oxide emissions include nitrogen-based fertilizers, organic fertilizers or livestock wastes leached from the soil and into the ground water surface, then transferred to a body of water, and then converted to N by denitrification/nitrification ₂ And O. BioGrace provides a formula for calculating biomass on and under synthetic fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and at harvest timeTotal weight, N discharged directly and indirectly from agricultural land, depending on the use of farmland fuel and the saturation of the soil in the growing period ₂ And O. ( And according to IPCC 2006,2006 IPCC national greenhouse gas catalogue guidelines, national greenhouse gas catalogue program, eggleston h.s., buendia l., miwa k., ngara t., and Tanabe k. (editors). The method comprises the following steps: IGES, japan )

Seed pods are specialized structures that contain seeds during development and maturation into grain. Seed pods can protect the seed from the external environment and provide energy and nutrients for seed development. When the seed is fully mature, the seed pod becomes dry and brittle and has lost all chlorophyll, appearing yellow. The seed pod then becomes easily split and the structure physically opens allowing the release of mature seed (grain).

Sequential crop production is the practice of planting two or more crops in sequence on the same land in one crop year, enabling farmers to extend the use of land by one season, i.e. winter season where crops are not usually cultivated. This allows farmers to earn additional income. Sequential crop production does not cause land use changes because the land has already been cleaned and used for agricultural production. Furthermore, the use of cover crops such as the russian mustard as a sequential crop allows farmers to gain benefits for fallow soil and earn revenue from the sale of carinata grain.

Soil is composed of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and various animal and plant organisms. Soil is produced by the interaction of climate, geology, hydrology and atmospheric pressure on the minerals that make up the crust of the earth over time. If sufficient time is available, the soil will form layers or boundaries of different structure or composition, which are determined by the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay.

And (3) soil carbon: the soil contains carbon in both organic and inorganic (mineral) forms. The organic carbon moiety may consist of dead and decaying substances, or comprise living plants, insects, fungi or microorganisms. Of reference soil type of zone which can be modified according to the influence of the zone climate (according to the climate classification scheme described previously)Knowing the carbon content to estimate the standard soil organic carbon reserve (SOC) _ST ) The value is obtained. Table 3 below is summarized from Table 1 of the EC document entitled COMMISON DECISION of 10 June 2010 on guidelities for the calculation of land carbon stocks for the purpose of the prediction of Annex V to Directive 2009/28/EC, in which the SOC of the soil classes in a given climate zone is summarized _ST Estimate of (ton of carbon per hectare of soil at a soil depth of 0 to 0.3M)

Table 3: topsoil SOC for mineral soil types in specific climate zones _ST Value of

The Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) value (SOC = SOC) of the cultivated land can be calculated taking into account factors such as land utilization, land management and agricultural input _ST ×F _LU ×F _MG ×F _I Wherein SOC = soil organic carbon, in mass of carbon per hectare; SOC _ST The standard soil organic carbon in the topsoil layer of 0-30 cm is calculated by the mass of carbon per hectare and is determined by the method; f _LU = land use factor, reflecting soil organic carbon difference relative to standard soil organic carbon, type of land use; f _MG = management factors, reflecting differences in soil organic carbon relative to standard soil organic carbon, principle management practices; f _I = input factor reflecting the difference in soil organic carbon associated with the difference in soil carbon input level compared to standard soil organic carbon). Table 4 table 2, taken from the EC file, is entitled: the Commission DECISION of 10 June 2010 on guidelines for the calculation of land carbon stocks for the purpose of the pure V to direct 2009/28/EC provides F for growing crops in different climatic zones under specific land utilization, land management practices and input use levels _LU Value, F _MG Value F _I The value is obtained.

Table 4: f _LU 、F _MG And F _I Value of (A)

If the cultivation method, land management practices, or inputs associated with a particular agricultural land base are changed, and it is desired to know the results of the change in carbon reserves, a reference plan (SOC) can be similarly calculated _R ) And the actual Scheme (SOC) _A ) And using these values and the formula E _sca ＝-(SOC _R -SOC _A ) 3.664/20 years, or carbon (as CO) within 20 years ₂ ) Tonnage per year of (E) soil carbon accumulation _sca ). If E is _sca A negative value indicates a loss of soil carbon and if positive, a net accumulation of soil carbon.

Classifying soil: soil was classified according to the world soil resource reference library (WRB), which proposed 30 "soil reference groups". As described below, these 30 reference soil types are distributed in 10 "pools".

Set #1 includes all organic soils. Organic soils (Histosols) are soils that are generally rich in organic matter during various stages of decomposition and where prolonged exposure to low temperature and/or moisture conditions can retard the rate of decomposition. The remaining mineral soil groups are assigned to one of the nine sets according to their most specific recognition factor, which is the key to formation and differentiation.

Set #2 contains all types of mineral soils, which are particularly affected by humans. This set consists of one reference soil group: anthrosol composition.

Set #3 includes mineral soils, the formation of which depends on the nature of their parent material. The set includes three reference soil groups: ANDOSOLS of volcanic origin and territory; ARENOSOLS, sandy soils including desert areas, beaches, inland sand dunes, and the like; and VERTISOLS, heavy clay in swamps, river banks, and basins.

Set #4 contains mineral soils, the formation and characteristics of which are influenced by their topographic/geographical or hydrographic environment. This set includes four reference soil groups:

stratified fluvisels are found in lowland and wetland areas;

non-stratified GLEYSOLS is commonly found in flooded areas;

o LEPTOSOLS, shallow soil typically found in elevated areas on rock substrates; and

tegosols, deeper soil of the elevated area, occurs on a gravel substrate.

Set #5 contains only moderately developed soil due to relatively small age of the soil and therefore represents a fairly diverse reference soil group: cambistols.

Set #6 contains soil affected by the climate in sub-humid tropical regions. Common to the six reference soil groups in this group is that long term dissolution and transport of weathering products yields deep and genetically mature soil:

-plinthososls, consisting of a mixture of clay and quartz ("fertil");

omicron ferrisols, with very low cation exchange capacity and no weathering ingredients;

omicron, aluminum rich in high cation exchange capacity;

omicron, deep and red soil, high iron content;

omicron, ACRISOLS, high clay content and low-fertilizer soil containing high-concentration aluminum; and

LIXISOLS, soil with low fertility, low cation exchange capacity but high alkali saturation.

Set #7 contains soil affected by arid and semi-arid regions climate. The five reference soil groups collected in set #7 were:

omicron SOLONCHAKS, with a high content of soluble salts,

SOLONETZ, having a high percentage of adsorbed sodium ions,

omicron gypsissols, with the limit of secondary gypsum enrichment,

omicron duriols, a layer or agglomerate of a soil material cemented with silica, and

omicron calcisosols, with secondary carbonate enrichment.

Set #8 contains the soil of the grassland area that occurs between dry climate and wet temperate zones, and includes three reference soil groups:

CHERNIZEMS, having a deep, very dark carbonate enrichment in the surface and subsoil,

KASTANOZEMS, having a shallow, dark brown surface soil and a depth of carbonate and/or gypsum accumulation (these soils occur where the grassland area is the driest), and

phiaeozems, dark red soil in grassland, has high alkali saturation, but no visible secondary carbonate accumulation.

Set #9 possesses dark brown and gray soils in the moist temperate zone and contains five reference soil groups:

an acidic PODZOLS having a bleaching leaching layer on the organic matter accumulation layer containing aluminum and/or iron,

omicron PLANOSOLS with bleached topsoil on dense, slowly penetrating subsoil

Omicron base-depleted ALBELUVISOLS, having a bleached leaching layer into a clay-rich subsurface,

omicron base-rich LUVISOLS having a unique clay accumulation layer, and

omicron, having a thick, dark, acidic surface layer rich in organic matter.

Set #10 owns the soil in permafrost regions and is contained in one reference soil group: CRYOSOLS.

At the decision of the European Union Committee on 10.6.2010, on guidelines for the calculation of land carbon stocks for the purpose of the pure V to Directive 2009/28/EC: (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/？uri＝uriserv％3AOJ.L_ .2010.151.01.0019.01.ENG)The 30 reference soil groups were further divided into 6 main soil types, including sandy soil (sandy soil), wetland soil (subsoil), volcanic soil (volcanic ash soil), ashed soil (ashed soil), low-activity clay (low cation exchange capacity or CEC) and high-activity clay (with high CEC).

Straw is defined as all above ground plant parts (except for cereals) below: collected by the process of harvesting and combine harvesting and then separated from the grain and then deposited back into the field.

Stubble is defined as post-harvest residue remaining in the field, including material below the cutting point of the combine harvester, and that portion not collected for subsequent grain threshing and winnowing operations. In low or no-till soil management paradigms, most or all of the stubble remains in the field while the subsequent crop seeding is performed. This requires special sowing equipment that opens up an unobstructed path for the soil to allow good seeds to contact the soil during stubble cutting. This is particularly important where the stubble can be particularly dense, for example in the stubble of a preceding corn crop.

Varieties refer to the names of plant classes, where varieties are ranked under species and subspecies, while the legally defined term "variety" refers to a commercial plant variety protected by the terms outlined in the international convention for protection of new varieties of plants, which is an international convention for protection of new varieties of plants governed by UPOV. The term "variety" (in terms of UPOV) describes a new, physically distinct, uniform and stable plant variety developed by plant breeders. The latter defines the right to give some protection and ownership of the legal "breed" of the breeder in the signing country of the treaty, as long as the four criteria mentioned above are met.

Detailed Description

Carbon emissions due to agronomic practices and land use variations contribute to the overall carbon strength of the biofuel pathway. The present invention describes the use of Arabidopsis thaliana as a dedicated biofuel feedstock crop and describes the relevant climatic regions and crop rotation used in cultivation, and the relevant agronomic practices to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible over its long term, even to the point where the net carbon flux during cultivation and harvesting favors atmospheric CO ₂ The extent of the net decrease in level (i.e., negative carbon strength).

The present invention describes the production of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana that has not previously been demonstrated to function as a low carbon strength biofuel production feedstock. The thelepicha provides these previously unknown advantages due to its unique growth habit and ability to resist frost, drought and heat. In the present invention and in the examples and description herein, the utility of the Arabidopsis thaliana has been shown to work as a matter of rotation in many planting schemes of many production practices. The present invention provides examples of net negative total carbon strengths that can be achieved under optimal conditions for the production of raw oil and meal, which can offset the carbon strengths generated during biofuel production and distribution and result in large amounts of carbon returned to the soil per hectare per year.

Brassica carinata has a unique growth habit in oilseed crucifers and produces more branches in mature plants than other brassica oilseed varieties (Gesch et al, 2015). Comparing the biomass of currently commercialized brassica napus and brassica carinata varieties, aboveground biomass accumulation of brassica carinata varieties was found to be 1.8 to 2 times the unit area of the superior commercialized brassica napus varieties. In the case of Arabidopsis, grain yield approaches that of the highest-grade canola type, but aboveground biomass production is almost twice as high (Gesch et al, 2015).

The deep and extensive root system of Arabidopsis thaliana may extend 60-90cm below the surface of the soil, with more than 50% of the root mass being located 30cm above the top (see, e.g., seepaul et al, 2016). The root system can penetrate the compacted soil layer, in the course of which the soil structure is improved. The root system can absorb minerals and nutrients normally submerged in the groundwater table and make those nutrients available for subsequent crops in rotation. Roots also account for a significant portion of the total biomass of the plant-20-25% of the aboveground biomass of the plant as measured by maturity (Gan et al, 2009 a) -and account for additional carbon reserves which are returned to the soil after harvesting. The roots not only constitute a carbon reservoir, but also serve as a conduit, and carbon-containing molecules can also be secreted into the environment at the root-soil interface. Carbon released by living root tissue, also known as rhizosphere deposition, occurs during the growth and maturation of plants and includes three sources of carbon deposition into the surrounding soil: carbon derived from exfoliated root border cells, carbon derived from secreted mucus, and small molecule carbon "exuded" by root cells, the latter representing a significant source of carbon deposited at the rhizosphere (Nguyen, 2003). It is estimated that the carbon deposition of the brassica napus rootstock will be approximately 350kg/ha in a single growing season (Gan et al, 2009 b).

It is estimated that the carbon content of brassica carinata is 45% to 47% of its biomass dry weight (Gasol et al, 2007, duca et al, 2015) and therefore constitutes a large pool of carbon accumulated above and below the growing season. At maturity, the carinata grain is usually harvested by combine harvesting, cutting and collecting above ground plant material, which consists of stems and branches, in which pods are found. The seeds are pod-threshed and the grain is collected while returning all remaining material, including the now empty pods, stalks, branches and stems (collectively referred to as plant stover) to the field, along with the remaining plant stubbles, which can now potentially provide soil carbon levels through soil-borne bacterial, fungal and fungal decomposition residues.

If one examines the crop-based biofuel production pathway, the greatest extent to which carbon strength is reduced lies in the production of the feedstock, especially during the crop production phase. In view of the CO absorbed by crops during their lifetime ₂ More than it releases, it should be possible to make some modifications to the cultivation method to introduce negative carbon strength at this stage of the route, which would have the effect of reducing the overall carbon strength of the route.

In the cultivation, harvesting, storage, transportation and processing of crops, there is a great deal of room to reduce CO ₂ And release of GHG. For example, reducing inputs, particularly inorganic nitrogen fertilizers, can have a dramatic impact on carbon-based emissions, reducing both fertilizer manufacturing-related emissions and soil nitrogen, which can be released into the atmosphere as nitrous oxide, an effect of which is CO, if the nitrogen content exceeds the demand of the crop ₂ 265 times or more GHG. Although nitrogen is an essential nutrient for most annual crops, nitrogen can be used to fine tune the application of nitrogen based on the known needs of the crop and the determined pre-existing nitrogen levels in the soil. Furthermore, it is known to treat soilThe atmospheric nitrogen-fixed bean annual crop can be used for rotation with other non-nitrogen-fixed crops to reduce the requirement of the latter on adding nitrogen fertilizer.

Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) may also cause GHG emissions. ILUC is the result of increased land demand to accommodate the cultivation of new energy and raw crops, resulting in the replacement of food crop cultivation. In order to continue to meet the demand for replaced food crops, new land needs to be found to replace the land now used for raw material production. This may involve the removal of forests or grassland, resulting in the release of large amounts of previously stabilized, sequestered CO in the process ₂ And other GHGs. Crops that can be successfully planted in underutilized marginal fields, as cover crops or crop rotation crops instead of fallow would have great advantages as energy or raw crops in reducing the potential for ILUC.

Rotation is an important means of reducing GHG emissions caused by ILUC by improving the efficiency of existing land utilization and reducing the demand for new agricultural land. Crop rotation also takes advantage of beneficial relationships between complementary crop species to improve crop yield and productivity. For example, a subsequent crop of a different species than the preceding crop may prevent the long-term establishment or persistence of a disease that is specific and/or characteristic to the preceding crop (i.e., the subsequent crop acts as a breaking crop). Subsequent crops can also replace the fallow period and provide the advantages of mulching crops-i.e., preventing soil erosion, helping to preserve moisture and circulate essential minerals and nutrients, and improving soil structure. Some crops, such as legume species, can fix atmospheric nitrogen in soil and reduce the need for external nitrogen fertilizer additions for subsequent crops.

For example, crops of brassica species can incorporate compounds having antimicrobial properties, i.e., glucosinolates, into the soil, which can protect subsequent crops from plant pathogens. Glucosinolates are a unique class of sulfur-containing compounds synthesized by crucifers and glucosinolates and their catabolites have potent antifungal and antimicrobial activity. Glucosinolates are synthesized in many plant compartments, including the roots and the release of glucosinolates and their catabolites in root secretions. When used in crop rotation with cereal crops, the synthesis is believed to contribute to providing effective disease control capabilities for brassica oilseed crops. Thus, crop rotation can often produce more yield than crop rotation, and rotation with cover crops instead of winter fallow is more productive and sustainable than relying on fallow. For example, in survey data on australian, european and north american wheat cultivation, angus and colleagues (Angus et al, 2011, angus et al, 2015) indicate that cultivation of wheat after brassica napus or brassica juncea consistently results in increased subsequent wheat crop yields as compared to cultivation of wheat after wheat. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that these are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of producing a feedstock for use in the production of a low carbon strength biofuel. In particular, the present invention describes methods for agricultural practices, including land management practices, to provide feedstocks for the production of low carbon strength biofuels that are the result of crop rotation cultivation of the brassica carinata oilseed crop. It was occasionally found that the crop rotation sequence (covering periods where no common commercial crops are planted) has a clear advantage when assessing CI and GHG emissions in relation to its cultivation according to various given CI and GHG assessment protocols.

For example, growing brassica carinata in the winter in tropical and temperate climates produces unexpected results, with good economic yields of brassica carinata grain. Furthermore, growing the brassica carinata on dry fallow has produced the unexpected result of successful harvesting of the brassica carinata grain that provides a feedstock suitable for the manufacture of high-grade low-carbon-strength biofuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVOs), for the production of renewable diesel and jet fuels.

The present invention also provides agricultural methods including crop rotation strategies and land management practices to reduce fossil fuel input and maximize atmospheric carbon capture during cultivation to produce brassica carinata seeds for use in producing feedstocks useful for the production of low carbon strength biofuels and other products. These production practices and crop rotation strategies have not been previously described, and the resulting low carbon strength and low GHG profiles are neither obvious nor predictable.

The unique features of the brassica carinata varieties described herein, in combination with specific land management practices, season times of rotation, and prior crops of the rotation, enable the production of feedstocks that produce low carbon strength biofuels and other renewable products.

The use of the eurotium carinata oil seeds to produce a low carbon strength biofuel production feedstock also provides a plant based meal or protein source as a by-product after oil recovery. Notably, the same GHG savings associated with the oil content of the grain is also associated with the meal or by-product of oil recovery. Therefore, the invention provides a novel feed additive rich in low GHG protein, which is a practical product with more environmental awareness in livestock production. Thus, the present invention describes a low GHG meal product for use as an animal feed additive.

In some embodiments of the invention, as a winter cover crop, brassica carinata, which is rotated with summer crops such as beans, cotton, peanuts, or sesame, is grown in tropical and warm temperate climates where it is common practice to fallow in winter (Seepaul et al, 2015). This is the first example of consistent yield in geographical areas when brassica oilseeds are planted in the first 11 to the last months and is possible due to the unique ability of the spatulated carinata to survive and recover from harsh frost, whereas other brassica oilseeds such as canola do not recover sufficiently (Seepaul et al, 2015). Oilseeds such as soybean are easily frost-lethal (Hume and Jackson, 1981), and therefore cannot be considered a winter cover in such environments. In this environment, the benefits of using the brassica carinata as a cover crop include the ability to retain winter soil moisture and nutrients, mitigate the influx of nitrogen, phosphate and other nutrients into local waterways, and provide a means to increase soil organic carbon (Newman et al, 2010 (revised)). This introduces an unprecedented new viable winter oilseed planting option for this area, providing benefits for the nursery carentata planted crop after harvest, and conditions for subsequent crop yield improvement, both in improved soil conditions and increased moisture. From a sustainability perspective, planting of the brassica carinata as a winter cover does not necessarily replace the production of food crops; since the land was previously agricultural land, no direct land use changes have had consequences.

In other embodiments of the invention, the brassica carinata can be grown as a summer crop in semi-arid regions as part of a crop rotation with summer and winter cereal crops (e.g., winter and summer wheat). Similarly, arabidopsis thaliana can be cultivated in areas of high temperature in summer (average July temperatures 18-24 ℃) and limited total rainfall (below 200-500mm per year), with many years of rotation in combination with pulse crops (such as peas, lentils, peanuts and soybeans) and cereal crops (such as maize, wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt). In the southern hemisphere, crops can be sown into moist soil in late autumn or early winter. In areas with high rainfall, the crops can be sown again until early spring.

It has long been shown to be beneficial to grow brassica crops in rotation with cereal crops such as wheat, which is an important food crop suitable for production in semi-arid regions due to the short growing season and extreme climate tolerance of wheat. Rotation with oilseeds and forage brassica has been shown to produce beneficial effects on subsequent grain crop yields, due to the effects on improving soil structure and water retention, and the ability to break disease cycles that affect grain performance (Angus et al, 2011). The ability to break the cereal disease cycle stems from the brassica lack of susceptibility to many cereal diseases, but can also result from its ability to actively prevent persistence of soil pathogens through the biological fumigant activity of root secretions and residues (Kirkegaard and Sarwar, 1998). The Arabidopsis thaliana is also suitable for use in a conservation or no-tillage paradigm, allowing additional preservation of soil moisture and reducing the release of stably deposited organic carbon in disturbed soil layers. Again in a semi-arid environment, the present inventionThe present practice will allow for the production of biofuel feedstocks from non-food crops on a continuous basis, or as part of a crop rotation which is cultivated in lieu of fallow or on marginal land. In both cases, there will be little change in direct or indirect land use due to the cultivation of carinata in such an environment. Removing CO from the atmosphere ₂ Sequestration of organic carbon to the soil will further reduce GHG life cycle emissions with the added benefit of providing conditions for improved crop rotation grain crop yield.

In other embodiments of the invention, the brassica carinata can also be planted in northern temperate areas as a spring sown, autumn harvested crop and as part of a crop rotation with summer and winter cereal crops, wherein the brassica carinata replaces summer fallow after a preceding winter cereal crop is harvested and the winter cereal is sown after its harvest. Suitable cereal crops include wheat, barley, rye or oats. In addition to the benefits gained from alternative fallow, the additional benefits resulting from increased overall yield and reduced direct and indirect land use changes mean that biofuels produced with second generation (non-fuel) oilseed-based feedstocks, such as carinata oil, can meet the european union guidelines for supporting second generation feedstocks, with their obligatory volume derived by re-numbering. Russia aegypti is more tolerant to early frost than arabidopsis thaliana, and is better able to handle higher calories and lower moisture during flowering and fruiting, and has the ability to resist lodging, so that it can better withstand extreme weather both early and late in the season (Seepaul et al, 2015), which is a more reliable choice of oilseed crops for producers in semiarid regions.

Similarly, arabidopsis thaliana can be cultivated in areas of high temperature in summer (average July temperature 18-24 ℃) and limited total rainfall (below 200-500mm per year) for many years of rotation in combination with pulse crops (such as peas, lentils, peanuts and soybeans) and cereal crops (such as corn, wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt). In the southern hemisphere, crops can be sown into moist soil in late autumn or early winter. In areas with high rainfall, crops can be sown in early spring.

Thus, the brassica carinata can be cultivated in rotation with various summer or winter cereals, legumes or other crops under a variety of climatic conditions to produce oilseeds for use in producing oil feedstocks for biofuel production and meals for livestock feed. The raw material produced by the grain constitutes almost the entire mass of the seed, with little waste being produced. The large amount of plant residue left after harvesting the grain returns to the field, greatly increases the organic carbon of the soil, and reduces the content of CO ₂ The amount of carbon released to the atmosphere. Increasing the carbon content in the soil improves the soil structure, maintains moisture and improves nutrient balance, which improves the growth conditions of subsequent crops. In addition, carinata can provide disease disruption when crop rotation with other crops is performed, which is beneficial for the yield of subsequent crops. The brassica carinata can also be sown directly in the stubble of the preceding crop. This practice is known as conservation of farming or no-tillage type agriculture, conservation of soil moisture in semiarid regions, conservation of soil structure, and reduction of GHG generated by fuel usage during operation of farming equipment. In summary, the cultivation of carinata provides a feedstock for biofuel production in many production schemes and geographical areas, while providing a measurable reduction in GHG emissions (as measured by various GHG audit models).

Based on their oil seed yield, the brassica carinata not only provides a feedstock for the production of a potential alternative to fossil fuels, but also provides an efficient mechanism to capture and return carbon to soil by increasing the yield of biomass. Soil also constitutes a potential reservoir for sequestration of carbon and reduction of emissions into the atmosphere. In all carbon environment pools, the soil pools are second only in size to the ocean pools and are expected to contain more than 2.3GT of organic carbon (jobbogy and Jackson, 2000) which is more than 4 times the total carbon accumulation in the plant biomass. Furthermore, the actual carbon reserves of the soil are relatively depleted with respect to their maximum content due to factors such as intensive agriculture, deforestation, erosion, and the like. It is estimated that the increase in carbon sequestration in soil can exceed 50 to 100GT (Lal 2008a, lal 2008b).

In one aspect of the invention, the brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of the harvested crop, with or without intervening fallow, such that the preceding crop is not itself brassica carinata, but the last crop harvested before seeding of carinata.

In one embodiment, the previous crop is a legume crop, which may include the following annual crops: beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, peanuts or alfalfa. Legumes are useful in crop rotation options because of their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and increase the nitrogen content of the soil. Oilseed crops such as brassica carinata require large amounts of nitrogen to obtain maximum yield. In crop rotation, the nitrogen accumulated in the soil can be utilized by the brassica carinata as a crop following the legume crop, thereby reducing the need for nitrogen-containing fertilizers. It is well known that the production of amino fertilizers using processes such as the Haber process results in CO ₂ Of significant emission of, CO ₂ Is the main co-product of the reaction. In addition, reducing externally added inorganic nitrogen fertilizers can also reduce the emission of nitrous oxide in the soil resulting from soil-borne bacterial and soil microflora activity. Dinitrogen oxide is an effective greenhouse gas, one gram of dinitrogen oxide corresponding to 265 grams of CO ₂ Dinitrogen oxide also greatly contributes to the overall carbon strength of the plant-based biofuel pathway. The last benefit of carinata after the legume crop in rotation, the residue remaining after harvest of the legume crop, whose consistency does not affect good contact of the carinata seeds with the soil, allows better emergence and setting of the carinata crop and allows the use of and benefits from no-tillage or reduced-tillage agriculture.

To reduce the GHG that results from the application of excess inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, in one embodiment of the invention, the land management practice includes reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer as compared to the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer in the growing environment for brassica carinata. In some embodiments, the land management practice comprises reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer to between about 40% and about 100% of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer in a growing environment for arabidopsis thaliana. In some embodiments, the land management practice comprises reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer to between about 40% and about 90% of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer in a growing environment for arabidopsis thaliana. In other embodiments, the land management practice comprises reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer to between about 50% and about 70% of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer in a growing environment for arabidopsis thaliana. This reduction in the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer would be beneficial, for example, when the soil nitrogen level is found to be high prior to planting brassica carinata, such as after harvesting a legume crop, or when brassica carinata is planted after harvesting a first crop to which a large amount of nitrogen fertilizer has been applied.

In one embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as tropical humid climates, arabidopsis thaliana was planted in the stubble of the harvested crop, with or without intermediate fallow. According to guidelines set by Directive 2009/28/EC, tropical humid climates can be frost free in all months, ocean regions are above 18 ℃, and are mostly humid, drier for 3-5 months in the winter. In some embodiments, the brassica carinata is planted in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer. In other embodiments, the brassica carinata is planted in the spring or summer to be harvested in the fall or winter. In some embodiments, the brassica carinata variety is selected from among regio-adapted varieties selected for one or more traits selected from the group consisting of high oil yield per planting area, shorter maturation time, enhanced frost resistance, enhanced disease resistance, or pod press resistance.

In another embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as warm-zone humid characteristic climates, moderate to high humidity throughout the year, without prominent dry seasons and temperatures of 10 ℃ or higher for periods of time greater than 8 months, brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of harvested crops with or without intervening fallow, according to the definition of Directive 2009/28/EC. In some embodiments, the brassica carinata is planted in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer. In other embodiments, the brassica carinata is planted in the spring or summer to be harvested in the fall or winter. In some embodiments, the brassica carinata variety is selected from among regio-adapted varieties selected for one or more traits selected from the group consisting of high oil yield per planting area, shorter maturation time, drought resistance, enhanced disease resistance, or pod-press resistance.

The crop rotation scheme is as follows: the invention can be carried out in many different climatic regions where the brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of the harvested first crop when it is crop-rotated with the first crop. The season for planting or harvesting the brassica carinata can vary depending on the geographical region of each region and crop rotation practices. As described above, crop rotation including cereal crops and brassica oilseed plants, such as brassica carinata, can benefit grain yield and quality because the bryophyte oilseed crop is not susceptible to infection and does not serve as a host, and thus, can temporarily and physically interrupt disease during the disease cycle affecting cereal crops, such that those diseases do not persist. The noxious substances, such as glucosinolates, contained in the roots and harvest residue of the brassica carinata also actively prevent the spread of pathogenic organisms in the soil.

Scheme a: in one embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as tropical humid climates, brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of the harvested crops, and brassica carinata is planted in autumn or winter for harvesting in spring or early summer, with or without intervening fallow. In some embodiments, the harvested crops such as legume crops include, but are not limited to, beans, peas, peanuts, lentils, and soybeans. In other embodiments, the harvested crop is a cereal crop including, but not limited to, wheat, barley, rye, oats or corn. In other embodiments the harvested crop is cotton or sesame.

Scheme B: in one embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as tropical humid climates, brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of the harvested crop, and brassica carinata is planted in spring for harvesting in summer or autumn, with or without intervening fallow. In some embodiments, the harvested crops such as legume crops include, but are not limited to, peas, lentils, and soybeans. In other embodiments, the harvested crop is a cereal crop including, but not limited to, wheat, barley, rye, oats or corn.

Scheme C: in one embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as warm-zone humid climates, brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of the harvested crop, and brassica carinata is planted in autumn or winter for harvesting in spring or summer, with or without intervening fallow. In some embodiments, the harvested crops such as legume crops include, but are not limited to, peas, lentils, and soybeans.

Scheme D: in one embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as warm-zone humid climates, brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of the harvested crop, and brassica carinata is planted in spring or summer for harvesting in autumn, with or without intermediate fallow. In some embodiments, the harvested crop is a cereal crop including, but not limited to, wheat, barley, rye, oats or corn.

Scheme E: in one embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as warm-zone dry climates, brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of harvested cereal crops, and brassica carinata is planted in autumn or winter for harvesting in spring or summer, with or without intermediate fallow. In some embodiments, the harvested cereal crop is corn. In other embodiments, the harvested cereal crop is wheat.

Scheme F: in one embodiment of the invention, the brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of harvested cereal crops in areas classified as temperate dry climates, with or without intervening fallow, and is planted in spring for harvesting in summer or fall. In some embodiments, the harvested cereal crop is corn. In other embodiments, the harvested cereal crop is wheat.

Scheme G: in one embodiment of the invention, the brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of harvested cereal crops in areas classified as temperate humid climates, with or without intervening fallow, and in spring for harvest in autumn. In some embodiments, the harvested cereal crop is corn. In other embodiments, the harvested cereal crop is wheat.

Scheme H: in one embodiment of the invention, in areas classified as tropical dry climates, brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of harvested cereal crops, and brassica carinata is planted in autumn or winter for harvesting in spring or summer, with or without intervening fallow. In some embodiments, the harvested cereal crop is corn. In other embodiments of the present invention, the substrate may be a substrate,

the harvested cereal crop is wheat.

In any of the embodiments and crop rotation schemes described above, the field may be reduced (medium) plowed, low plowed, or no plowing prior to sowing. As is well known to those skilled in the art, where no-or low-till management practices are employed, seeding of carinata into stubble, particularly of cereal crops, will require the use of seeding practices and mechanical equipment designed to ensure that in the stubble the seed and soil surface remain in consistent contact at an appropriate depth. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that snow may further compact the soil, as previously described, when low or no tillage land management practices fail to clear heavy grain stubbles or loosen compacted topsoil, then appropriate care must be taken to seed carinata using appropriate methods and machinery to ensure that the seed remains in consistent contact with the soil at the appropriate soil depth.

In any of the embodiments and crop rotation scenarios described above, the brassica carinata is sown using a seeder or similar equipment at a depth set to 0.50cm, 0.63cm, 1.25cm, 1.9cm, 2.5cm, 3.75cm, or 5cm, or any depth therebetween, at a rate of 3.0kg of seed/ha, 4.0kg of seed/ha, 5.0kg of seed/ha, 5.6kg of seed/ha, 6.7kg of seed/ha, 7.8kg of seed/ha, 9.0kg of seed/ha, 10.1kg of seed/ha, 11.2kg of seed/ha, or any ratio therebetween. The row spacing may be set to 10cm, 20cm, 30cm, 40cm, 50cm, or any distance between the two. As is known to those skilled in the art, when low or no-till land management practices fail to remove heavy grain stubbles or loosen compacted topsoil, then appropriate care must be taken to seed carinata using appropriate methods and machinery to ensure consistent seed-to-soil contact is maintained at the appropriate soil depth, as previously described.

In any of the embodiments and crop rotation scenarios described above, the inorganic (mineral) fertilizer may be applied by topdressing, side-application, broadcast or foliar application. In some embodiments, the inorganic (mineral) fertilizer comprises one or more of an inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer, a phosphate fertilizer, a potassium fertilizer, and a sulfur fertilizer. In some embodiments of the invention: the fertilization rate of the inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer is 30kg/ha, 45kg/ha, 56kg/ha, 67kg/ha, 78kg/ha, 90kg/ha, 101kg/ha, 112kg/ha, 123kg/ha, 135kg/ha, 150kg/ha, 165kg/ha or any ratio of the two; the addition rate of the phosphorus (P) fertilizer is 22, 34, 45 or 56kg equivalent of P ₂ O ₅ Per hectare, or any ratio between the two; the addition rate of potassium (K) was 30, 45, 56, 67, 78, 90, 101 equivalents of K ₂ O per hectare, or any ratio therebetween; and the addition rate of the sulfur (S) fertilizer is 11kg/ha, 17kg/ha, 22kg/ha, 28kg/ha, 34kg/ha, 40kg/ha, or any ratio of the two. In some embodiments, the inorganic N and S fertilizers are applied in discrete doses, half at planting and the other half before flowering, with the P and K fertilizers applied at once at planting. In fertile soil applied by dispersing and metering inorganic N fertilizer and S fertilizer, one fourth to one third of N fertilizer and one third to one half of S fertilizer are added during planting, the rest fertilizer is added during bolting, and P and K fertilizers are added at one time during planting. In deep sandy soils, the fertilizer may be applied in three doses: adding one third of inorganic N fertilizer, one half of S fertilizer, one half of K fertilizer and all P fertilizer when planting or seedling emergence of the first plant; adding one third of inorganic N fertilizer and the rest S and K fertilizer during bolting; finally, at the beginning of flowering, the remaining N is added.

In any of the embodiments described above and in crop rotation, manure and/or organic fertiliser may be used to provide some or all of the nitrogen fertiliser required in the carinata cultivation process. Manure may be applied by spreading, looping, embedding, or other methods known to those skilled in the art using manure spreaders, lump spreaders, tankers, or other suitable equipment known to those skilled in the art. The manure may be one or more of poultry manure, cattle manure, pig manure, or other agricultural waste material rich in nitrogen and other nutrients. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the amount of manure applied to the field will depend on the composition of the manure, particularly the nitrogen content. Manure is typically used at a density of 0.5-10 tons/ha, or at any application rate between the two. For example, manure may be applied at a rate of about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 tons/ha. When applied at such a rate, the manure may provide about 20% to 100%, or any percentage therebetween, of the nitrogen fertilizer required to grow the brassica carinata. For example, manure may provide about 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or 100% of the nitrogen fertilizer required to grow brassica carinata. In some embodiments, the manure may provide about 30% to 90%, or any percentage therebetween, of the nitrogen fertilizer required to cultivate brassica carinata. In other embodiments, the manure may provide about 40% to 80%, or any percentage therebetween, of the nitrogen fertilizer required to cultivate brassica carinata. In other embodiments, the manure may provide about 50% to 75%, or any percentage therebetween, of the nitrogen fertilizer required to grow brassica carinata.

By conservative estimates, by 2022, the yield of carinata product in semiarid regions of the united states was 2090kg grain per hectare (assuming an oil content of 43% w/w, equivalent to 899kg oil per hectare), the nutrient input was 45-90kg/ha inorganic N fertilizer, 17-34kg/ha P fertilizer, 0-11kg/ha K fertilizer, 3.1kg/ha pesticide and 32.7L/ha diesel, and the GHG emissions associated with pressing, oil storage and transportation, biofuel production and biofuel distribution were assumed to be approximately equivalent to those associated with soybean and flax mustard, estimated EPA emissionsThe hypothetical Carinatata pathway produces biomass biodiesel or higher fuels such as HVO with reduced total GHG emissions that would allow the producer to obtain class 4 or class 5 RIN credits (EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0093-; FRL-9926-80-OAR; notice of the opportunity to review greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production and transportation of Arabidopsis oil for biofuel production. Federal registration, volume 80, volume 79, year 2015, 24 Friday, p. 2015, pages 99226-23003;https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-04-24/pdf/2015-09618.pdf). Thus, in one aspect of the invention, carinata represents a non-food, oilseed crop that can be cultivated in semi-arid environments to provide optimal biofuel feedstocks and significantly reduce GHG emissions while improving soil quality, thereby increasing yield of subsequent food crops.

When grown under any of the embodiments or crop rotation protocols described above, the Arabidopsis thaliana will be about 0.5 to about 5 tons per hectare per year, or any amount of CO therebetween ₂ And sealing and entering soil. For example, under any of the embodiments or crop rotation protocols described above, the growth of brassica carinata will sequester 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, or 5.0 tons per hectare per year of CO, or any amount therebetween ₂ And entering the soil.

Under any of the embodiments or crop rotation protocols described above, the feedstock produced from the brassica carinata grain harvested from brassica carinata can be used to produce low carbon intensity (low CI) biofuels, such as biodiesel or jet fuel, which is harvested from brassica carinata. In some embodiments, the carbon intensity value produced by the low CI biofuel is reduced by at least 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200g or more CO relative to the carbon intensity value of a corresponding conventional fuel produced from a fossil fuel feedstock _2eq energy/MJ. In other embodiments, the carbon intensity value produced by the low carbon intensity biofuel is reduced by about 50 to 200g CO relative to the carbon intensity value of a corresponding fuel produced from the fossil fuel feedstock _2eq MJ energy, or any amount in between. In other embodiments, the fuel is a fuel other than a fossil fuel feedstockCarbon strength values of the corresponding fuels produced, carbon strength values produced by low carbon strength biofuels are reduced by about 75 to about 200g CO _2eq MJ energy, or any amount in between. In other embodiments, the low carbon strength biofuel produces a carbon strength value that is reduced by 100 to 200g CO relative to the carbon strength value of a corresponding fuel produced from a fossil fuel feedstock _2eq MJ energy, or any amount in between.

Similarly, when measuring relative GHG production during use in the production of green (renewable) diesel, and the refining and production of regular diesel from fossil fuel feedstock, growth of brassica carinata may be reduced by about 60-400%, or any percentage therebetween of GHG life-cycle emissions under any of the embodiments or crop rotation protocols described above. For example, when used in the production of green (renewable) diesel, and measuring relative GHG production during the extraction and production of conventional diesel from fossil fuel feedstocks, growth of brassica carinata will decrease GHG life cycle emissions by about 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, 200%, 225%, 250%, 275%, 300%, 325%, 350%, 375%, or 400% under any of the embodiments or crop rotation protocols described above. In some embodiments or crop rotation scenarios, growth of brassica carinata will be reduced by about 75-300%, or any percentage therebetween, of GHG lifecycle emissions when used for production of green (renewable) diesel, and measuring relative GHG production during refining and production of regular diesel from fossil fuel feedstock. In some embodiments or crop rotation scenarios, when used for the production of green (renewable) diesel, and measuring relative GHG production during the refining and production of regular diesel from fossil fuel feedstock, growth of brassica carinata will reduce GHG life cycle emissions by about 90-250%, or any percentage therebetween.

Examples

Example 1: the growth of the brassica carinata after the peanuts was sequentially rotation as winter mulch.

This example illustrates the cultivation of brassica carinata as a cover crop in tropical humid climatic regions for the production of raw materials for the production of low carbon strength biofuels and protein rich meal for livestock feed. As an example of cultivation in this area, brassica carinata was used as a winter cover crop, and cultivation was performed in sequence in two farms in the southeast united states (north florida) in 2015-2016, in place of fallow. Farm 1 is located near Jay, florida and farm 2 is located near Altha, florida. The pioneer crop cultivated in both farms was peanut of the legume species.

Table 5 summarizes how the cultivation of carinata crops was carried out in each farm. These two farms are located in the northern florida, which is classified as the tropical humid region as described above and in table 2. The soil in the northern region of florida, where the two farms are located, has been classified as a less active, strongly acidic soil, belonging to set #6 of the soil classifications defined above.

A no-tillage management method is used to prepare for sowing in the field. Sowing is carried out by using the Arabidopsis thaliana AAC-A120, and the sowing density and the sowing depth are within the optimal range suggested by the Agrimoma 2015 grower guide for the region (https://agrisoma.com/ckfinder/userfiles/files/2017_18_SE_Handbook.pdf). The inputs used in both farms (listed in table 5) are also within the recommendations provided by the grower's manual. In order to most accurately assess the total GHG emissions associated with carinata cultivation, the farm manager recorded the fuel consumption of all farm machinery used during cultivation and harvesting of carinata crops (listed in table 5). All irrigation is achieved by natural precipitation, so no supplemental irrigation is required or used. At maturity, the seeds are harvested by direct cutting with a combine harvester and almost all of the plant material is returned to the field, except for the collected grain. Table 5 lists the net yield and yield per hectare (moisture content 10%) of carinata grain harvested from two farms.

Table 5: carinata cultivation details (farm 1 and farm 2)

Example 2: growth of brassica carinata as winter mulch in tropical humid climates sequentially after the cereal crop (maize) (florida/southeast usa).

This example illustrates the cultivation of brassica carinata as a cover crop in tropical humid climatic regions for the production of raw materials for the preparation of biofuels and protein-rich meal for livestock feed. The businella nervosa was used as a winter mulch crop, instead of winter fallow, and was grown sequentially in the southeast united states (north florida) in the winter season in 2015-2016. The predecessor of cultivation is corn (an example of a cereal crop species), and unlike previous practice, the harvest residue of a previous corn crop was not incorporated by tillage. Table 6 summarizes the details of cultivating carinata in the tropical humid climate zones described above and in table 2. The soil in the area north of florida is of sandy type (see SET #3 above, which defines soil classification).

Table 6: carinata cultivation details

In the above environment, in the middle and late eleven, arabidopsis thaliana was sown into the stubble of the preceding corn crop, typically to a depth of 1.2-2.5cm. Currently, two inbred open pollinated carinata varieties Resonance AAC-A120 (currently temporarily protected by Canadian plant breeder rights, application No. 15-8718) or Avanza 641 (WO 2017/181276A) are recommended for use in this growing environment, the latter variety being selected based on regio-adaptive high yield, low glucosinolate content and enhanced frost resistance. The seeding rate was adjusted to 4kg/ha to achieve an optimal density of 80-180 plants per square meter. The inputs used are as described in table 6 and include the recommended amounts of inorganic nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus based fertilizers. Sandy soil is moderately acidic, and dolomite lime (CaO) needs to be added. Inorganic nitrogen fertilizers are applied at rates of 141.1kg/ha, and although higher than the commonly recommended carinata, are still suitable for wetting sandy soils in tropical environments where nitrogen tends to leach from the root zone where it can.

In order to most accurately assess the total GHG emissions during cultivation, the fuel consumption of all the motorized farms used during carinata crop cultivation and harvesting was recorded. All watering is achieved by precipitation and therefore no supplemental irrigation is required or used. As a winter cover crop grown under short-day conditions, brassica carinata requires slightly more than 5 months of time to mature, at which time carinata is harvested by direct cutting by a combine harvester. The grain is collected and almost all of the plant material, except for the collected grain, is returned to the field. Table 6 lists the yield of grain per hectare (moisture content 10%) and the accumulated fuel usage.

Example 3: growth of escitalopram as a summer mulch after legume crops (lentils) in temperate dry climates (NTs).

This example illustrates cultivation of a summer cover crop with carinata for production of raw materials for biofuel production and protein-rich meal for livestock feed. The brassica carinata was planted in the stubble of the preceding lentil crop in the temperate dry climate zone in the north united states and south of the canadian grassland, using the brassica carinata as a summer cover crop. Table 7 summarizes the details of the cultivation performed in the regions described above and in table 2 classified as temperate dry climates. Examples of such areas include the southern grassland of the state of the North line United states and the West of Canada. The soils in these areas are classified as highly activated clays (Commission precision of June 2010 on colloids for the calculation of land carbon stocks for the purpose of the pure V to Directive 2009/28/EC). The legume lentils are an increasingly important crop in these areas, often with crop rotation with grain crops such as wheat and/or brassica oilseed plants.

In the above environment, the brassica carinata is sown into the stubble of preceding lentil crops, typically to a depth of 1.25-2.5cm, in the middle of april to early may, typically when the soil temperature exceeds 4-5 ℃. Two inbred open pollinated carinata varieties, resonance AAC-a120 (protected by the rights of canadian plant breeders, application date 2015, 4, 9, application number 15-8718) and 3a22 (us provisional patent application with application number 62/326111 filed 2016, 4, 22, 4, 2016 and PCT international application with application number PCT/CA2017/050474 filed, 4, 18, 2017) are currently recommended for use in this growing environment, the latter variety being selected on the basis of regional adaptability, high yield, low glucosinolate content and earlier maturity. The sowing rate is adjusted to achieve a density of 80-180 plants per square meter, corresponding to a sowing rate of 5-9kg/ha. The inputs were as described in table 7 and contained the recommended amounts of inorganic nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus based fertilizers. The soil pH in these areas is typically 7.0 or higher, so that the application of dolomitic lime is not required. Although the recommended dose of inorganic nitrogen is 90kg/ha, it is possible to reduce the amount of nitrogen added to subsequent crops, since the ability of the lentils roots to fix atmospheric nitrogen will increase the soil nitrogen content. Thus, table 7 lists two cultivation protocols, which differ only in the addition of inorganic nitrogen: one (case 1) had a normal recommended dose, while the other (case 2) had half the inorganic nitrogen usage to utilize the nitrogen provided by the preceding lentil crop.

Table 7: carinata cultivation details

In order to most accurately assess the total GHG emissions associated with cultivation during cultivation, all the farm implements and machinery used at various stages of cultivation and harvesting of carinata crops, as well as the amount of diesel used during operation, are recorded. For this reason, the default diesel usage is 1000MJ/ha, which represents a higher utilization of the mobile agricultural implement. All watering is achieved by natural precipitation and no or no supplementary irrigation is required. As a summer cover crop, brassica carinata typically matures within 4 months and, at its maturity, is cut directly by a combine harvester for harvesting. The grain is collected and almost all of the plant material, except the collected grain, is returned to the field. Table 7 lists the net yield and yield per hectare (10% moisture content) of the harvested carinata grain in both nitrogen utilization regimes.

Example 4: growth of eruca carinata in warm and humid climates (yerba mate) sequentially as a winter mulch after legume (soybean).

This example illustrates the sequential cultivation of the eruca carinata as a winter cover crop instead of fallow for the production of raw materials for the production of biofuels and protein rich meal for livestock feed. The Brassica carinata is planted in the stubble of the preorder soybean crop in the warm and humid climate of Uyghur, with the Brassica carinata as the winter cover crop. Table 8 summarizes details of the cultivation performed in 2015 winter in the regions described above and classified as warm-zone humid climates in table 2. Examples of such regions include many arable lands of yerba mate. The soils in these areas are classified as highly activated clays (Commission precision of June 2010 on guidelities for the calculation of land carbon stocks for the purpose of the pure V to Directive 2009/28/EC). The legume species lentil is an increasingly important crop in these areas, which is often grown in crop rotation with cereal crops such as wheat and/or brassica oilseed plants.

Table 8: carinata cultivation details

In the first middle of 5 months, carinata was sown sequentially in the stubble of the first soybean crop at a depth of 1.25-2.5cm in 17 farms of Uyghur, including over 2400 hectares. Two inbred open pollinated carinata varieties Resonance AAC-A120 (currently temporarily protected by Canadian plant breeder rights, application No. 15-8718) and Avanza 641 (in U.S. plant variety patent application preparation) are recommended for use in this growing environment, the latter variety being selected based on region adaptability, high yield, low glucosinolate content,Frost resistance and early maturation. Table 8 lists the average seed rate, average input level and average yield for all farms. The seeding rate was adjusted to achieve the best plant density, corresponding to an average seeding rate of 7kg/ha. The input was as described in table 8 and contained the average of all farm-used inorganic nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium (lime) based fertilizers. Soil pH in these areas is typically moderately acidic, with pH as low as 5.7, so in order to reduce the acidity of the soil, dolomitic lime is applied. According to the results of the soil nitrogen analysis, 59.7kg/ha of nitrogen was used on average throughout the season. This is lower than the recommended applied nitrogen level (90 kg/ha), but reflects pre-existing soil nitrogen levels, which may be the result of prior legume crops. Table 8 also lists the average level of pesticide (including pesticides, herbicides and fungicides) use in all farms, which resulted in GHG emissions due to energy consumption for their preparation, and the biogace model determined the CO contribution of these products ₂ Equivalent discharge levels and incorporate them into the total discharge of the cultivation stage.

As previously mentioned, in order to most accurately assess the total GHG emissions associated with the cultivation of carinata, all the agricultural implements and machinery used to cultivate and harvest carinata crops, as well as the amount of diesel used during operation, are recorded. The average diesel fuel consumption for all farms is 277MJ of diesel fuel per hectare. All watering is achieved by precipitation and no supplemental irrigation is required or used. As a winter cover crop grown under short-day conditions, brassica carinata matures within 5-6 months (1-2 months longer than required for summer cultivation conditions), at which time carinata is harvested by direct cutting by a combine harvester. The grain is collected and almost all of the plant material, except for the collected grain, is returned to the field. Table 8 lists the net yield and yield per hectare (moisture content 10%) of harvested carinata grain

The eruca carinata produces both high yield and high biomass compared to other oilseed crops grown in yerba mate. In a 2016 study conducted in yerba mate, under identical conditions, the eurotia brassicae variety Avanza 641 was sown in three plots alongside several current open-pollinated varieties and crossed spring canola-type commercial brassica napus varieties. The plots were tested for plant density, silique density, aboveground biomass at harvest, grain yield at harvest and harvest index during cultivation. The data are summarized in table 9.

Table 9: grain yield and biomass of the Arabidopsis thaliana Avanza 641 grown in parallel with the hybrid canola variety

The least mean square (LSM) of the replicate samples was calculated and the means compared using Tukey's test to determine if any significant differences were observed between the tested varieties (see table 10). The LSM values using the same sign for each measurement did not differ significantly.

Table 10: grain yield and biomass accumulation of the Arabidopsis thaliana Avanza 641 compared to the canola hybrid

It can be seen that the production of Arabidopsis thaliana is significantly higher under the cultivation conditions used in these Uguay studies, even for the latest hybrid spring canola variety. Contributing to this yield advantage are traits such as silique density and plant density, both of which are significantly higher than the russian arabica AVANZA 641. Previous work demonstrated that spring-grown brassica saitoi varieties produced overground biomass higher than other brassica oilseed species in the north line of the united states (Gesch et al, 2015). The results provided herein demonstrate that the selection of the brassica carinata variety for short-day winter cultivation produces significantly higher levels of aboveground biomass than other commercial brassica oilseed crops, while maintaining the potential for high yield. If the production of large amounts of biomass is managed in conjunction with land management practices (e.g. return of harvest residue to the field, protective farming, remaining stubble), plant nutrients and carbon can be returned largely to the soil (see below).

Example 5: the brassica carinata was grown as a winter cover crop on new south welsh sequentially after the cereal crop (wheat).

This example illustrates carinata as a cover crop cultivated in warm temperate dry and tropical dry climatic regions (represented by the wheat producing region of new south walsk, eastern australia) for the production of raw materials for biofuel production and protein-rich meal for livestock feed. Here, in order to utilize the water increase provided in winter, brassica oilseed plants (mainly canola type varieties) are sown in autumn, grown in winter and harvested in spring or early summer through growing seasons as long as 5 to 7 months. In a similar manner, in farms in sub-regions where the amount of rainfall in winter is relatively high, brassica carinata is used as a winter cover crop, which is grown in sequence instead of winter fallow. The predecessor crop of cultivation was wheat (an example of a cereal crop species), as opposed to previous practice, where the harvest residue was not incorporated by tillage. Table 11 summarizes the details of the cultivation of carinata, which was cultivated in the warm temperate dry climate zones described above and in table 2. Most of the soil in this area was classified as Luvisol, vertisol or Calcisol, described in the soil classification definitions set #9, set #3 and set #7, respectively.

In the above embodiment, the Arabidopsis thaliana is sown sequentially in the middle and last 4 months to the end of 5 months, typically to a depth of 1.25-2.5cm, into the stubble of the preceding wheat crop. The sowing rate was adjusted to 5kg/ha to achieve an optimal plant density of 80-180 plants per square meter. The inputs used are as described in table 11 and include the recommended amounts of inorganic nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus based fertilizers. The use of 110kg/ha of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, although higher than the commonly recommended amount for carinata, is suitable for sandy soils in moist tropical environments where nitrogen tends to leach from the root zone.

Table 11: carinata cultivation details

Example 6: GHG reduction for low CI biofuels using feedstock produced from the brassica carinata which is sequentially grown after peanuts as winter mulch.

To calculate the GHG footprint of carinata cultivation in the carinata cultivation example described in example 1, the BioGrace v1.4 model (http:// www.Biogram.net) was used. The model complies with sustainability standards of renewable energy directive (2009/28/EC, RED), which is also stated by Fuel quality directive (2009/30/EC). Calculations in the bioglace Excel tool the GHG emissions of 1MJ fuel were evaluated in terms of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This means that:

the functional unit is "produce and use 1MJ fuel".

All lifecycle steps from biomass production to fuel distribution (see table 12) are considered and displayed in a calculation table with a specialized module representing one step in the biofuel pathway. For biofuels, the use phase does not generate GHG emissions, because of the CO emitted ₂ Is biological (CH produced on combustion) ₄ Is not apparent).

The module collects the consumption of input and calculates the three main gases (CO) responsible for climate change ₂ 、CH ₄ And N ₂ O) is discharged. Details of each gas generation contribution are shown in the last step of the calculation. The sum of all three gases is expressed as the equivalent CO required to produce the same GHG effect ₂ (CO _2eq )(g CO _2eq /HVO fuel produced by MJ).

Then summarize GHG emissions for each module to obtain GHG emissions for the entire route.

However, for the purposes of this example, while the raw material produced would be primarily for the production of HVO (used due to the reduction of fuel alternatives in transportation and aviation fuel applications), the biogace model is only used to consider GHG emissions during the cultivation phase of the carinata-based biofuel pathway, including harvesting, drying and transportation of grain to storage sites, to establish the potential for carinata cultivation under cultivation conditions when carinata is used as a winter cover instead of fallow and for post-harvest legume crops (peanuts) in tropical humid climatic regions, reducing the carbon strength of the relevant fuel pathway. However, to consistently estimate GHG emissions in a manner that accounts for functional units, assume the HVO yield of the simplified pathway is 0.58MJ HVO/MJ of carinata seeds. FIG. 1 shows the steps for HVO production from cultivated Arabidopsis thaliana within the "well-to-tank" system boundary of the BioGrace GHG emission calculator. The partition factor for the first three steps of Catinata oil was 0.613.

GHG emissions of inputs and fuels used during cultivation can be estimated based on the amount of input or feedstock usage multiplied by a suitable emission factor, similar to the data provided in the biogace spreadsheet. The emissions generated from the use of fuel during transportation of seeds, oil or fuel can be calculated from similar emission factors for the appropriate fuel type multiplied by the distance traveled and fuel efficiency for a particular mode of transportation (e.g., rail, road or ocean-going vessel).

The lower calorific value, expressed as MJ/kg and obtained from the tables containing such values accompanying the biogace spreadsheet, is used to determine the energy content of the grains, oils, meals at various stages in the pathway and, considering the functional units, can be converted into HVO per MJ.

Diesel for fueling tractors and agricultural equipment and electrical energy for drying harvested carinata grain during carinata cultivation (for field preparation, sowing, application of inputs and harvesting) also contribute to pathway GHG emissions, which are also taken into account as part of the cultivation phase.

GHG emissions of fuel used during cultivation can be estimated from the amount of fuel used multiplied by a suitable emission factor, similar to the data provided in the biogace spreadsheet.

Preparation of inputs for crop cultivation, such as fertilizers and pesticides, has relevanceEmissions, which must be incorporated into a part of the life cycle GHG emissions of the biofuel production pathway; these are estimated based on the amount of input used in crop cultivation and the default emission coefficient available for the relevant input preparation process (g GHG produced/kg input) (JEC E3-database; 31-7-2008 edition). There is an additional source of emissions to be considered in the cultivation process, namely nitrous oxide (N) emitted from the field ₂ O), which is a specific CO ₂ 265 times stronger greenhouse gas. Such field discharges are further divided into three additional categories: direct N of field ₂ O bleed, indirect N due to leaching and runoff ₂ O is emitted and is composed of NH ₃ And indirect N by NOx volatilization ₂ And (4) discharging O. Field emissions are the result of organic matter breakdown or combustion from crop residues, and are also the result of the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers themselves, and are the biogace spreadsheet estimate N ₂ O-exhaust module (as described in the definitions section herein).

Transporting grain to collection and storage points maintained by commercial grain operators is also a potential source of GHG emissions. The nature of the transport, the fuel used during the transport and the distance travelled were all recorded and used to determine the net GHG emissions (table 12). For the purposes of this embodiment, only grain is considered for transport to a local storage room.

Table 12: transportation of grains, oil and fuel

All the emissions listed in the cultivation, drying and transport phases are added to arrive at the total emission value for the cultivation phase (see table 13 for emissions from farm 1 and table 14 for emissions from farm 2). To grow carinata and subsequently transport the grain to the local grain operator's storage room, a partitioning factor is applied to the discharge to account for the fact that the carinata oil fraction accounts for 63% of the seed energy, and is the only seed fraction processed to HVO. Thus, until the oil is processed into HVO, the resulting emissions are multiplied by the partition factor.

Table 13: emission of cultivated carinata (farm 1 of example 1)

Table 14: emission of cultivated carinata (farm 2 of example 1)

The biogace model takes into account another factor in calculating the net GHG emission-that is, the expected reduction in GHG emission may lead to situations where improved land management practices are employed in the context of growing bioenergy crops relative to a benchmark state. The reduction in emissions is referred to as E _sca It is hypothesized that improved land management practices result in increased carbon sequestration of the managed land, thereby offsetting a portion of the emissions generated during the cultivation, processing and transportation phases of the approach. In the particular case of the cultivation of carinata described herein, additional emissions reduction may be desirable as it goes from full to no tillage and replaces fallow with ground cover crops, which return a high proportion of their biomass to the soil at harvest. Based on these improvements (see E in Table 15 _sca Value), biogace model to be returned to CO in the soil ₂ In tons/ha/year, quantifying and assigning E _sca The value is obtained. It is subsequently converted to CO which is returned to the soil ₂ tonnage/MJ produced HVO biofuel for use in reducing net emissions throughout the pathway (see tables 16 and 17).

As can be seen from carinata cultivation in farm 1, CO of HVO produced per MJ if only the cultivation stage of the HVO production pathway is considered ₂ The equivalent emission is negative (-35.6 tons CO) ₂ equivalence/MJ-produced HVO), which represents a net reduction in atmospheric GHG levels per fuel produced by growing carinata under the cultivation conditions of farm 1. In farm 2, CO per HVO produced by MJ ₂ Equivalent emissions are also negative: 17.6 tons of CO ₂ equivalent/MJ HVO produced. Factors leading to a further reduction in emissions experienced by the farm 1The method comprises the following steps: a) The use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers is less, so that GHG emission in fields and life cycle emission related to nitrogen fertilizer preparation are reduced; b) Although the number of hectares cultivated is actually higher, less fuel is used by the agricultural equipment used during cultivation.

Table 15: improved land management (farms 1 and 2)

Table 16: discharge from Carinata cultivation (farm 1 from example 1)

* The number in parentheses is negative

Table 17: discharge from Carinata cultivation (farm 2 from example 1)

* The number in parentheses is negative

Example 7: carinata is sequentially grown as winter mulch rotation after peanuts, with the use of Carinata production feedstock, GHG reduction associated with the overall HVO production pathway.

This example illustrates that in tropical humid climatic regions, with carinata as the cover crop grown sequentially after cultivation of legume crops (peanuts), GHG emissions reduction throughout the HVO production pathway is achieved by using carinata-produced feedstock. As described in the previous examples, the Arabidopsis thaliana was used as a winter cover crop and was cultivated in two farms in the southeast USA in the winter 2015-2016 instead of winter fallow. The preorder crops cultivated in the two farms are peanut and bean crop species. Unlike conventional practice, peanut residues are not incorporated by post-harvest farming, but rather are left in the field by no-tillage management.

To calculate the footprint of the GHG cultivated by carinata in these examples, the BioGrace v1.4 model (http:// www.BioGrace.net) was used as described previously. Table 18 summarizes the relevant modules of the biogace V1.4 model, which account for all relevant emissions produced by the HVO biofuel production (well to tank) pathway. In the embodiments described herein, all of the emissions sources listed above are considered, as opposed to the preceding embodiments which only consider cultivated emissions.

For the cultivation phase, the discharge resulting from the preparation of seeds and fields, the direct and indirect discharge resulting from the application of the inputs, the discharge resulting from agricultural equipment for sowing, application of inputs, harvesting, etc., the discharge resulting from the energy utilization associated with grain drying and the field release N ₂ The emissions produced by O are summarized in tables 13 and 14 as described in the previous example (example 6).

Table 18: GHG emission source considered in BioGrace 1.4 model

For processing stages including oil recovery and processing to biofuels, the production of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO) has been selected as the most likely end use of the carinata feedstock. During the squeeze and production phases, the electricity used to run the propellers and squeeze line equipment and the natural gas boiler steam heating are the main GHG emissions sources considered in the LCA model. Chemicals used for oil recovery from meal (e.g. hexane) and for degumming and refining of produced oil (e.g. NaOH and phosphoric acid) also contribute to the life cycle GHG and should be taken into account. For oil processing to HVO, power and natural gas steam generation are the primary sources of energy for GHG emissions, as is hydrogen used in the hydroprocessing process itself. Typically, default emission values are used for these processing stages, as these are well established processes that do not produce significant variations. Since neither the rapeseed nor the carinata use is expected to make significant differences, the carinata approach uses the current default values for rapeseed oil recovery and hydroprocessing. Table 19 summarizes the emissions at the processing stages. Although the total amount of oil produced and processed is different (grain yield is different), the normalized process emissions are equal to the grain yield per farm since these emissions are normalized to the total amount of HVO produced per farm.

Table 19: emission from processing Carinata grain into Low carbon Strength biofuel

For transportation related emissions, the distance between the farm gate, nearest grain elevator, pressing plant, HVO biofuel refinery and gas station was used to estimate the demand for transportation fuel. The cost of electricity generation from the storage facility is based on the amount of feedstock and biofuel, which in turn is calculated from the yield of grain. In a particular embodiment, grain grown on farms in north florida and south georgia is transported to one of three pick-up sites, from where it is transported by truck to tanpao, where it is collected and loaded into the hold of a sea freighter. The grain is transported offshore to freon and then trucked to Grande Currone for pressing. The vegetable oil was then trucked to the biend atta-defender for storage and then trucked to a refinery in Donges, france for conversion to fuel by HVO processing. The transport distances and fuels used during transport (summarized in table 20) of farm 1 (table 21) and farm 2 (table 22) were used to determine the emissions produced during the transport phase.

For the cultivation phase, transport of the carinata grain to the press, oilseed pressing and oil recovery steps, a distribution factor is applied to the discharge to account for the fact that the carinata oil fraction accounts for 63% of the seed energy, and is the only seed fraction treated to HVO. Thus, until the oil is processed to HVO, the emissions are multiplied by the partition factor (0.63), while in the subsequent stages the emissions are considered as 100% calculated values.

Table 20: transportation of grains, oil and fuel

Table 21: emissions from transport (farm 1)

Table 22: emissions from transport (farm 2)

As previously mentioned, indirect land use changes can cause significant biofuel pathway GHG emissions and are interpreted in the biogace model as a potential source of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), which can be added to the aforementioned stages. However, in the carinata cultivation method of the present invention, since cultivation of carinata replaces the fallow period in crop rotation and does not replace any other crop, no indirect land use change occurs.

The biogace model takes into account another factor in calculating the net GHG emission-that is, the expected reduction in GHG emission may lead to situations where improved land management practices are employed in the context of growing bioenergy crops relative to a benchmark state. The reduction in emissions is referred to as E _sca It is hypothesized that improved land management practices result in increased carbon sequestration, thereby offsetting a portion of the emissions generated during the cultivation, processing and transportation stages of the route. In the particular case of the cultivation of carinata described herein, additional emissions reductions may be desirable as a result of changing from full to no tillage and replacing fallow with ground cover crops so that a high proportion of the biomass is returned to the soil. Based on these improvements, the biogace model quantifies and assigns E _sca Values, then used to reduce the net emissions of the entire route (table 23).

Table 23: summation of pathway related emissions (production of HVO biofuel from Carinata oil)

* The numbers in parentheses are negative

Table 23 also summarizes the GHG emissions calculated for the entire route from carinata oil to HVO when carinata is produced on farm 1 and farm 2. Since both farms are located in the same soil and climatic region, the geographical locations are close to each other, and the processing end points of the crops are the same, the processing and transportation phases will be very similar in terms of emissions. It can be seen that the only stage exhibiting a difference in emission between the two is the cultivation stage, which reflects the difference in practices adopted by each farm. These differences include the seeding area, seeding rate, level of input (especially nitrogen-based), energy used for cultivation and ultimate crop yield. However, as shown in Table 24, the life cycle GHG emissions obtained from the carinata to HVO pathway were-14.2 gCO, respectively ₂ eq/MJ (farm 1) and 3.5gCO ₂ eq/MJ (farm 2), all significantly lower than the life cycle emissions (83.8 gCO) associated with the petroleum derived diesel production route ₂ eq/MJ) (WTT appendix 1, v3, paragraphs 2.1 and 3; z1), GHG emissions are reduced by 96% to 117% relative to diesel fuel.

Table 24: carbon Intensity (CI) and GHG emissions reduction relative to fossil fuel benchmarks

* DeJong et al, 2017

Example 8: following soybean, brassica carinata, which is a winter mulch, was grown sequentially; the effect of manure utilization on GHG emission during cultivation.

Instead of fallowing, using the businella nervosa as a winter cover crop, cultivation was performed sequentially in two farms in the southeast united states (farm a located near Fort Valley, georgia and farm B located near Dublin) during the winter season of 2015-2016. As described above and in table 2, the region belongs to a warm-zone humid climate zone. In this region of the state of georgiaThe found soil is of the low-activated clay soil type (see 2010/335/EU; COMMISON DECISION of 10 June 2010 on guidelines for the calculation of land carbon stocks for the purpose of the pure V to Directive 2009/28/EC). An agrimoma planter guide according to said region (A)https://agrisoma.com/ckfinder/userfiles/files/2017_18_SE_Handbook.pdf) The steps outlined in (1), sowing two farm fields using the arabidopsis thaliana Avanza 641; see table 25 for details of cultivation. The amounts of fertilizer inputs used by both farms are listed in table 25 and the amount of nutrients added is determined based on the results of the soil analysis to reach the recommended range suggested in the grower guidelines. For farm a all nitrogen was applied in the form of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, while for farm B a mixture of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and manure was used.

To accurately assess the total GHG emissions associated with the cultivation of carinata, the farm operator recorded the fuel usage of all the farm machinery used in the cultivation and harvesting of carinata crops (table 26). All watering at both sites is achieved by a combination of natural precipitation and supplemental irrigation. At its maturity, it is cut directly by the combine to harvest the seeds, and almost all of the plant material is returned to the field, except for the collected grain. Table 25 lists the yield per unit area (at a specific moisture content) of carinata grain harvested from two farms.

TABLE 25 Carinata cultivation details (farm A and farm B)

As described in example 6, to calculate the GHG footprint for cultivation of carinata with and without manure, the same principles were used to explain GHG emissions generated by cultivation inputs and fuel usage during cultivation and transportation using the BioGrace v1.4 model (http:// www.Biogram.net). However, for the purposes of this example, while the raw materials produced would be primarily for the production of HVO (used due to the reduction of fuel alternatives in transportation and aviation fuel applications), the biogace model was only used to consider GHG emissions from the carinata-based biofuel pathway cultivation stage (including harvesting, drying of grain and transportation of grain to storage sites) to demonstrate the potential of cultivation of carinata to reduce biofuel pathway-related carbon strength under cultivation conditions (where carinata is grown as a winter cover instead of fallow in farms belonging to warm humid climate areas), and the effect of using manure on the resulting HVO biofuel carbon strength during the cultivation stage can also be assessed. In order to estimate GHG emissions consistently and in a manner that takes functional units into account, a reduced pathway of harvested carinata grain with HVO yield of 0.58MJ HVO/MJ is assumed. As mentioned before, the partition factor for the first three steps of carinata oil production (cultivation, drying and grain transportation) is 0.613.

All emissions listed during the cultivation, drying and transportation phases were added to give a total emission value (expressed as carbon strength) for the cultivation phase (see table 26 for emissions from farm a and farm B during the cultivation phase). As mentioned before, for the steps of cultivation, drying and grain transportation, a distribution factor is applied to the discharge to account for the fact that the carinata oil fraction accounts for 63% of the seed energy, and is the only fraction processed into HVO. Thus, until the carinata oil is extracted from the grain, the resulting emissions are multiplied by the partitioning factor to produce the so-called partitioning emissions for each step of cultivation, drying and grain transportation (see table 27).

Table 26: emission from Carinata cultivation without manure (farm A) or with manure (farm B)

* The use of manure does not result in direct emissions from its preparation, but results in indirect emissions (calculated at N) ₂ O field discharge inside)

Table 27: discharge from Carinata cultivation without manure (farm A) or with manure (farm B)

The biogace model takes into account an additional factor in calculating the net GHG emission-that is, the use of improved land management practices in the cultivation of bioenergy crops may result in the reduction of predicted GHG emissions relative to the baseline state of unadjusted management practices. Reduction of emissions is called E _sca It is hypothesized that improved land management practices result in increased carbon sequestration of the managed land, thereby offsetting a portion of the emissions generated during the cultivation, processing and transportation stages of the route. In the particular case of cultivating carinata described herein, additional emissions reductions may be desirable as changing from intertillage to reduced tillage, replacing fallout with ground cover crops allows a high proportion of biomass to be returned to the soil at harvest, and the use of manure also aids in the conservation of soil carbon. Based on these improvements (see farm A in Table 28 and farm B in Table 29 for E _sca Value), biogace model to regress to CO in soil ₂ In tons/ha/year, quantifying and assigning E _sca The value is obtained. It is subsequently converted into CO which is returned to the soil ₂ Tonnage per MJ produced HVO biofuel, which is then used to reduce the net emissions of the entire pathway.

Table 28: improved soil management induced organic carbon changes in soil (farm A-manure free)

Table 29: improved land management induced organic carbon changes in soil (farm B with manure)

As can be seen from Table 30, two farms are being plantedCO of HVO produced per MJ at cultivation, drying and grain shipment stages _2eq The emissions were negative (i.e. farm A-18.7 tons of CO) _2eq HVO and farm B-114.35 tons of CO produced by MJ _2eq HVO produced by MJ), which indicates that cultivation of carinata under the conditions and practices described herein leads to atmospheric CO2, respectively _eq Mainly by increasing the level of soil organic carbon through net absorption by carbonaceous harvest residue, litters and root material, reducing soil carbon loss through the use of reduced tillage, and in the case of farm B, improving soil structure and carbon retention through the use of manure.

Table 30: sum of emissions associated with no manure (farm A) or manure (farm B) route (HVO production from Carinata feedstock)

* The number in parentheses is negative

As can be seen from Table 26, the use of manure in farm B caused direct and indirect N ₂ CO associated with O emissions _2eq A significant increase in emissions. Indeed, the CO of farm 2 is considered only for the contribution of the cultivation, drying and grain transportation steps ₂ Equivalent emission levels were 1.65 times higher than farm a. However, the annual soil carbon deposition observed on farm B increased by a factor of 2.8 compared to farm a, thereby compensating for the above (see tables 28 and 29). Thus if a farmer may wish to grow carinata on a soil of relatively low fertility (particularly in terms of nitrogen water), it would clearly be advantageous for the farmer to use manure instead of inorganic fertiliser (especially inorganic nitrogen) to achieve the required level of fertility and maximum carinata production, which can offset and further reduce GHG emission levels due to the beneficial effect of applying manure on soil carbon build-up.

While the current analysis considers only a portion of the HVO biofuel pathway, it is clear to those skilled in the art that applying the best practices described herein to the cultivation of carinata to produce HVO and low carbon strength biofuel-producing feedstocks can apply the significant reductions produced during the carinata cultivation, drying and grain transportation stages to the emissions produced during the later stages of the pathway (i.e., oil recovery, transportation and storage of raw oil, conversion of feedstock to HVO, transportation storage and distribution of HVO). In fact, if the practice described in farm B is applied to the HVO production pathway described in example 7, a net negative carbon strength of the entire HVO production pathway is easily achieved. The higher the negative carbon strength during the cultivation, drying and grain transportation phases, the wider the range of feedstock and HVO transportation means can be considered, while the overall GHG emissions of the biofuel pathway are still minimal.

Example 9: the reduced GHG potential of low CI biofuels made from feedstocks produced by brassica carinata, which were grown sequentially under tropical humid climates (florida/southeast usa) after cereal crops (corn) as winter mulches.

This example illustrates the production of carinata (described in example 2 above) after sequential cultivation as a cover crop in tropical humid climatic regions with reduced GHG emissions, such as northern cereal crops in florida. As in the previous examples, assuming HVO as the final product, emission from cultivation of carinata in tropical humid climatic regions, as winter cover crops after maize, was calculated using the BioGrace model and summarized in Table 31 as g CO _2eq HVO by MJ. The emissions resulting from the cultivation, harvesting drying and transport of the grain before and after the application of the partition factor, which is used to explain the fact that only the oil fraction of the grain leads to GHG emissions in this part of the biofuel pathway, are listed. It can be seen that cultivation, drying and transportation of the grain produced a total emission of 47.9g CO after application of the partition factor _2eq HVO by MJ.

Table 31: discharge from Carinata cultivation

Table 32 summarizes the benefits that can result from using corn and carinata crop rotation and related land management practice improvements. The BioGrace model compares the applicationSoil carbon accumulation before and after new agricultural practices. The land is maintained under light tillage in the baseline state and then under fallow conditions while receiving low levels of input, wherein under adjusted conditions carinata is cultivated under no tillage conditions and high levels of input. In practice, the net end result of this change is that the annual net carbon contribution to the existing soil reserves is large due to the return of the accumulated carbon remaining from the post-harvest plant residue and root material to the soil. The biogace model predicts a soil carbon net gain expressed as 1.02 tonnes of CO due to cultivation of carinata under improved land management practices on a baseline basis ₂ Has/year. Since carbon is mainly derived from plants through atmospheric CO ₂ Fixation of photosynthesis, which represents CO ₂ Removed from the atmosphere and sequestered in soil. The net emission reduction of GHG may also be relative to the amount of HVO produced (36.59 g CO) _2eq MJ HVO) and the dividend or Esca value can be used to counteract greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the biofuel pathway. As shown in Table 33, where E is subtracted from the net discharge accumulated by cultivation, drying and transportation of the grain _sca The value is obtained. It can be seen that subtracting E _sca After factoring, 11.42g of CO are produced ₂ Net GHG emission of eq/J HVO. Unlike some of the carinata cultivation examples described above, the carbon intensity of the pathways described including the following is even at minus E _sca Positive values remain after bonus: cultivation as winter fallow carinata in tropical humid climatic regions after corn, drying of the harvested grain and transportation of the harvested grain to the collection site. This indicates that net GHG emissions are being released. This is partly due to the high levels of nitrogen used in the cultivation of carinata in this study and the associated GHG emissions from the field during the cultivation phase.

However, if nitrogen input can be reduced by 50% (i.e., from 141kg/ha to 70 kg/ha) without significantly affecting carinata yield (low nitrogen utilization), GHG emissions during the cultivation phase can be from 47.9g CO due to reduced life cycle emissions associated with nitrogen fertilizer production and reduced field emissions _2eq MJ HVO reduction to 30.1g CO _2eq the/MJ HVO (Table 33). If will transport and E _sca Taking into account that the emission becomes negative (-6.4 g CO) _2eq MJ HVO), which indicates that cultivation of carinata results in atmospheric CO ₂ A net reduction in levels that can be used to offset emissions from other stages of the biofuel pathway. This example illustrates how maximizing the nitrogen use efficiency of carinata cultivation can significantly impact GHG emission reduction associated with low CI biofuel production.

Table 32: improved land management induced emission reduction

Table 33: discharge from Carinata cultivation

* The numbers in parentheses are negative

Example 10: after leguminous crops (lentils), GHG emissions from brassica carinata were cultivated in a temperate-cold dry climate as a summer cover.

This example illustrates the reduction in GHG emissions achieved using carinata as a summer cover crop cultivated as a production feedstock for the production of biofuels. As in the preceding examples, assuming HVO as the final product, emissions generated by carinata cultivated as a summer cover crop in temperate dry climatic regions after lentils were calculated using the BioGrace model and summarized as gCO in Table 34 (inorganic nitrogen use protocol 1 at 110 kg/ha) and Table 35 (inorganic nitrogen use protocol 2 at 55 kg/ha) as described previously _2eq HVO by MJ. The emissions resulting from the cultivation and harvesting, drying and transport of the grain before and after the application of the partition factor, which is used to explain the fact that only the oil fraction of the grain leads to GHG emissions in this part of the biofuel pathway, are listed. As can be seen by comparing the data of tables 34 and 35, the GHG emissions for grain drying and transport are the same in both nitrogen use regimes, but vary widely at the cultivation stage, with regime 2 showing the much lower emissions predicted by the biogace model. This reflectsLess field discharge results from applying less nitrogen fertilizer to the crop. Thus, the lower demand for nitrogen-based fertilizers, as well as the ability to maintain yield, are benefits that can be expected from rotation with lentils and other legume crop species with carinata, and provide additional benefits in the form of significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions during cultivation.

Table 34: discharge from Carinata cultivation (scheme 1)

Table 35: discharge from Carinata cultivation (scheme 2)

Table 36 summarizes the benefits that can be produced using lentil/carinata rotation and related land management practices. The biogace model compares soil carbon accumulation before and after application of new agricultural practices. The land can be kept in a resting state and receives a low level of input in the reference state, and the caredata is cultivated to cover the crop in the adjusted state. Although this requires the application of more input, the net end result of cultivating carinata is a large annual net carbon contribution to existing soil reserves due to the accumulated carbon in the post-harvest plant residue and the return of root material to the soil. The biogace model predicts a net increase in soil carbon expressed as 0.73 tonnes CO compared to baseline due to cultivation of carinata ₂ Has/year. Since carbon is mainly derived from plant passing atmospheric CO ₂ The photosynthesis of (2) is fixed, so this represents CO ₂ Removed from the atmosphere and sequestered in soil. The net emission reduction of GHG may also be relative to the amount of HVO produced (30.32 g CO) _2eq MJ HVO), this E _sca The value of the red profit can be used to offset the GHG emissions generated during the pathway. As shown in Table 37, where E is subtracted from the net discharge accumulated by cultivation, drying and transportation of the grain _sca The value is obtained. As can be seen from scheme 1 (high nitrogen utilization), E is added _sca After factoring 8.2g CO are produced _2eq Net emission of GHG from the/MJ HVO, but in case 2 (low nitrogen utilization), 4.5g CO were obtained _2eq GHG net emission from the/MJ HVO. This negative carbon strength can be used to offset emissions that may be produced by other stages in the HVO production pathway, such as processing, refining, and hydrotreating of carinata oil, thereby helping to reduce the overall emissions of the pathway. Thus, increasing the efficiency of nitrogen use during the cultivation stage and improving land management practices associated with cultivation may lead to higher and higher negative carbon strengths for this pathway stage and may significantly reduce GHG overall emissions throughout the biofuel pathway.

Table 36: improved land management (inorganic nitrogen schemes 1 and 2)

Table 37: emission from high (110 kg/ha) and low (55 kg/ha) inorganic nitrogen Carinata cultivation

* The numbers in parentheses are negative

Example 11: brassica carinata is grown sequentially in warm and humid climates (yerba mate) after legumes (soybeans) as a winter mulch, thereby reducing GHG emissions.

This example illustrates the reduction in GHG emissions achieved by using carinata as a winter cover crop, instead of fallow, cultivated to produce a feedstock for biofuel production. In warm temperate humid climatic regions, with carinata as a winter cover crop, grown sequentially after soybeans, and then, assuming HVO as the final product, the emission resulting from the cultivation of carinata was calculated using the biogace model, as previously described and summarized as g CO in table 38 _2eq/ HVO produced by MJ. As mentioned previously, the emissions resulting from the cultivation and harvesting, drying and transportation of grains before and after the application of the partition factor to explain the fact that this is the case in the biofuel pathwayIn part, only the oil portion of the grain causes GHG emissions. It can be seen that cultivation, drying and transportation of the grain produced a total emission of 27.1g CO after application of the partition factor _2eq HVO by MJ.

Table 38: discharge from Carinata cultivation

Table 39 summarizes the benefits that can be produced using soybean/carinata rotation and related improved land management practices. The biogace model compares soil carbon accumulation before and after application of new agricultural practices. In the baseline state the soil can be kept fallow and receive a low level of input, while in the adjusted state carinata is cultivated to cover the crop and a high level of input is applied. Although this requires the application of more input, the end result of growing carinata is a large annual net carbon contribution to existing soil reserves due to the return of post-harvest plant residue and carbon build-up in the root material. The biogace model predicts a net increase in soil carbon due to cultivation of carinata expressed as 1.41 tonnes CO compared to the benchmark program ₂ Has/year. Since carbon is mainly derived from plant radicals through atmospheric CO ₂ The photosynthesis of (2) is fixed, so this represents CO ₂ Removed from the atmosphere and sequestered in soil. The net emission reduction of GHG may also be relative to the amount of HVO produced (50.91 g CO) _2eq MJ HVO), and this bonus or E _sca The values were then used in a biogace model to counteract GHG emissions generated during the pathway. As shown in Table 39, where E is subtracted from the net discharge accumulated by cultivation, drying and transportation of the grain _sca Value, resulting in 23.8g of CO _2eq Negative GHG emissions from the/MJ HVO. That is, cultivation of the Arabidopsis thaliana to produce oilseed cereals under the cultivation conditions used in this study reduced atmospheric CO ₂ And (4) horizontal. This negative carbon strength can be used to offset emissions that may be produced by other stages in the HVO production pathway, such as processing, refining, and hydrotreating of carinata oil, thereby helping to reduce the overall emissions of the pathway. The following factors lead to cultivationNegative carbon strength of the stage, such as nitrogen application efficiency and improved land management practices associated with cultivation of carinata.

Table 39: improved land management practices

* The numbers in parentheses are negative

Example 12: following the cereal crop (wheat), brassica carinata was grown in order as a winter cover crop in new south wilms, whereby the GHG produced was reduced.

This example illustrates the reduction in GHG emissions achieved using carinata for cover crops in warm temperate dry and tropical dry climatic regions, represented by the wheat producing region of new south wales, eastern australia. As in the preceding examples, assuming HVO as the final product, the emissions produced by sequential cultivation of carinata as a winter cover crop in warm climatic zones after wheat were calculated using the BioGrace model and summarized as g CO in Table 41 (high inorganic N usage) and Table 42 (low inorganic N usage) _2eq HVO by MJ. The emissions resulting from the cultivation and harvesting of the grain, drying and transport of the grain before and after the application of the partition factor is listed, which is used to explain the fact that only the oil fraction of the grain leads to GHG emissions in this part of the biofuel pathway. It can be seen that, following the application of the partition factor, in the regime using high inorganic nitrogen fertilizer during cultivation of carinata, the cultivation, drying and transportation of the grain produced a total emission of 38.8gCO _2eq HVO produced by MJ, and in the low inorganic nitrogen fertilizer utilization scheme, the total emission was 25.5g CO _2eq HVO by MJ.

Table 41: emission from Carinata cultivation (high inorganic N)

Table 42: emission from Carinata cultivation (Low N)

Table 43 summarizes the benefits that can be produced in a particular climate zone and soil type using wheat-carinata crop rotation and related land management practice improvements. The biogace model compares soil carbon accumulation before and after application of new agricultural practices. Under baseline conditions, the land is maintained under light tillage and then under fallow conditions while receiving low levels of inputs, while under adjusted conditions, carinata is cultivated under no-tillage conditions and high levels of inputs to cover the crop. In practice, the net end result of this change is that the accumulated carbon from post-harvest plant residue and root material residue is returned to the soil, contributing significantly to the annual net carbon of the existing soil reserves.

The biogace model predicts a net soil carbon increase as 0.97 tons of CO due to cultivation of carinata under improved land management practices on a baseline basis ₂ Ha/year. Since carbon is mainly derived from plants through atmospheric CO ₂ Fixation of photosynthesis, which represents CO ₂ Removed from the atmosphere and sequestered in soil. The net emission reduction of GHG may also be relative to the amount of HVO produced (35 g CO) _2eq MJ HVO). And this bonus or E _sca The values can be used to offset GHG emissions generated throughout the course of the biological pathway. As shown in Table 44, where E is subtracted from the net discharge accumulated by cultivation, drying and transportation of the grain _sca The value is obtained. It can be seen that in the case of cultivation with high contents of inorganic nitrogen, E is subtracted _sca After factoring, 3.8g of CO are produced _2eq the/J HVO. Unlike other embodiments of carinata cultivation, the carbon strength including the following pathway even at subtraction of E _sca The bonus is still positive: cultivation of carinata as winter fallow in warm-zone dry/tropical dry areas including NSW after wheat, followed by drying and harvesting of the grainTransport to the collection site. This indicates that net GHG emissions are being released. This is partly due to the high levels of nitrogen used in the cultivation of carinata in this study, which resulted in GHG emissions from the field during the cultivation phase.

Table 43: improved emissions reduction for land management

If nitrogen input can be reduced by 50% (i.e., from 110kg/ha to 55 kg/ha) without significantly affecting carinata production (low nitrogen utilization), GHG emissions during the cultivation phase can be from 37.5g CO due to reduced life cycle emissions associated with nitrogen fertilizer production and reduced field emissions _2eq MJ HVO reduction to 24.2g CO _2eq the/MJ HVO (Table 44). If will transport and E _sca Taking into account that the total emissions under the low nitrogen regime are reduced to-9.5 CO _2eq MJ HVO, which stands for cultivation of carinata, atmospheric CO, under these conditions ₂ The net decrease in level. This and the preceding examples serve to illustrate that differences in soil type and climate zone may have an impact on carinata cultivation capacity and associated best practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Table 44: discharge of Carinata cultivation

* The numbers in parentheses are negative

Example 13: the effect of manure use during the cultivation of brassica carinata on GHG discharge and sequestration. In the winter of 2016-2017, arabidopsis thaliana was grown in 13 separate farms in the middle of the state of Georgia, USA. In order to assess compliance with sustainable practice, careful reviews of carinata production in these farms are made. As described in the preceding examples, energy usage and GHG emission data for all steps in the cultivation process were analyzed using the biogace GHG biofuel GHG emission calculator spreadsheet version 4 d. Assessment of the effect of manure (in this case chicken manure) on GHG emission levels in carinata cultivation is particularly important when manure is used to replace part or all of the inorganic nitrogen. Of the 13 farms 6 used manure as fertilizer in combination with inorganic nitrogen or in one case completely replaced inorganic nitrogen, while the rest used inorganic nitrogen only in mixed fertilizers. All farming in farms includes the use of the improved land management practices described herein, including reduced tillage and rotation of carinata as a cover crop with grain crops, legume crops, cotton or sesame.

Table 45 summarizes the data obtained from these farms. For the purposes of this study, it was assumed, as previously mentioned, that the carinata grain produced will provide the feedstock for HVO biodiesel production, and therefore the intermediate GHG calculation for this pathway was normalized with respect to the energy content of HVO biodiesel. CO2 ₂ The equivalent emissions are calculated from the cultivation data and comprise the emissions produced by the steps of: preparation of the input, use of farm machinery fuel, production of commercial seeds for starting cultivation, drying of the seeds and transportation of the seeds. Direct and indirect emissions of organic and inorganic nitrogen for field applications are also quantified and included. Part of the CO is due to improvements in land and cultivation management practices ₂ The emissions cannot be released into the atmosphere but into the soil organic carbon reservoir, thereby reducing the net emissions. The latter effect is called Esca, which, as previously mentioned, can be quantified, followed by CO production from the above sources _2eq And subtracted to produce a net discharge for cultivation at each farm. As shown in Table 45, all farms produced negative emissions during the cultivation phase of the route, indicating that the application of the method described herein to cultivate carinata produced atmospheric CO ₂ Net removal of (a). Farms using manure as a nutrient source achieve more atmospheric CO than farms using only inorganic nutrients ₂ And (4) reducing. One reason for this is the effect of manure use on soil carbon accumulation, which is several times higher in farms using manure compared to farms using inorganic nitrogen。

In the studies described herein, the data was not obtained directly from the later stages of the HVO production pathway. However, once the grain is consolidated, the subsequent steps of the path may be considered common to all sources of grain. The emissions associated with oil recovery and the energy used to convert oil feedstocks into HVO biodiesel are well known and depend primarily on the amount of feedstock used. Although the distance and manner of transport, distribution and storage of feedstock and finished fuel may vary greatly, for purposes of this example, default distances and fuel transport types are employed to provide data to calculate the net emissions of such sample routes and are added to the emissions data of the actual cultivation stage described above to obtain the total amount of carbon intensity for the HVO produced by agricultural production of carinata and carinata feedstock. As shown in table 45, in most cases, by the default pathway, the HVO-produced carbon intensity was negative, indicating a net decrease in atmospheric GHG levels relative to diesel produced from fossil fuel feedstock. The highest GHG reduction benefit can be achieved from raw materials obtained from farms that use manure during the cultivation stage.

It is clear that the more CO reduction during the cultivation phase is possible by the improved practices described herein, including the use of little or no tillage, reduced irrigation and the use of manure _2eq Emissions that more than offset the emissions produced by the pathway during the subsequent non-cultivation stage, which is more dependent on the following variables: transportation, distribution and storage modes of raw materials and finished fuels.

Table 45: the effect of the use of manure on the CO2Eq emissions produced by carinata cultivation and on the CI for HVO diesel production using carinata feedstock

¹ All farms listed were cultivated in the middle of Georgia mustard in the winter between 2016 and 2017 in Georgia

² As shown inExample 8, containing less E for cultivation, grain drying and grain transportation _sca Value of CO ₂ eq discharge

³ Based on an approach involving actual cultivation data for each farm, and supplementing default oil recovery and process emission data and simulated oil and fuel transportation, storage, and distribution emission data

⁴ Based on the standard CI of 83.8CO2 eq/MJ of petroleum diesel oil, according to per BioGrace emission calculator v1.4d

Reference:

Alemaw，G.(1987).REVIEW ON BREEDING OF ETHIOPIAN MUSTARD(Brassica carinata A.BRAUN).7th International Rapeseed Congress Poznan，Poland，May 11-14，1987，Poznan，Poland GCIRC.

Angus，J.，J.Kirkegaard，M.Peoples，M.Ryan，L.Ohlander and L.Hufton(2011).A review of break crop benefits of Brassicas.17th Australian Research Assembly on Brassicas，Wagga Wagga，NSW，August 2011.Wagga Wagga，NSW，NSW DPI：123-127.

Angus，J.F.，J.A.Kirkegaard，J.R.Hunt，M.H.Ryan，L.Ohlander and M.B.Peoples(2015).″

crops and rotations for wheat.″Crop and Pasture Science 66(6)：523.

Blackshaw，R.，E.Johnson，Y.Gan，W.May，D.McAndrew，V.Barthet，T.McDonald and D.Wispinski(2011).″Alternative oilseed crops for biodiesel feedstock on the Canadian prairies.″Canadian Journal of Plant Science 91(5)：889-896.

Bouaid，A.，Y.Diaz，M.Martinez and J.Aracil(2005).″Pilot plant studies of biodiesel production using Brassica carinata as raw material.″Catalysis Today 106(1-4)：193-196.

Cardone，M.，M.Mazzoncini，S.Menini，V.Rocco，A.Senatore，M.Seggiani and S.Vitolo(2003).″Brassica carinata as an altemative oil crop for the production of biodiesel in Italy：agronomic evaluation，fuel production by transesterification and characterization.″Biomass and Bioenergy 25(6)623-636.

Cardone，M.，M.V.Prati，V.Rocco，M.Seggiani，A.Senatore and S.Vitoloi(2002).″Brassica carinata as an altemative oil crop for the production of biodiesel in Italy：engine performance and regulated and unregulated exhaust emissions.″Environ Sci Technol 36(21)：4656-4662.

DeJong，S.，K.Antonissen，R.Hoefnagels，L.Lonza，M.Wang，A.Faaig，and M.Junginger(2017).″Life-cycle analysis of greenhouse gase emissions from renewable jet fuel producction″.Biotechnol.Biofuels 10：64.

DeLucchi，M.A.(1991).Emissions of Greenhouse Gases from the Use of Transportation Fuels and Electricity.ANL/ESD/TM-22，Argonne National Laboratory.1：155.

Drenth，A.C.，D.B.Olsen，P.E.Cabot and J.J.Johnson(2014).″Compression ignition engine performance and emission evaluation of industrial oilseed biofuel feedstocks camelina，carinata，and pennycress across three fuel pathways.″Fuel 136(0)：143-155.

Drenth，A.C.，D.B.Olsen and K.Denef(2015).″Fuel property quantification of triglyceride blends with an emphasis on industrial oilseeds camelina，carinata，and pennycress.″Fuel 153：19-30.

Duca，D.，G.Toscano，G.Riva，C.Mengarelli，G.Rossini，A.Pizzi，A.Del Gatto and E.F.Pedretti(2015).″Quality of residues of the biodiesel chain in the energy field.″Industrial Crops and Products 75：91-97.

Gan，Y.T.，C.A.Campbell，H.H.Janzen，R.Lemke，L.P.Liu，P.Basnyat and C.L.McDonald(2009).″Root mass for oilseed and pulse crops：Growth and distribution in the soil profile.″Can.J.Plant Sci.89：883-893.

Gan，Y.T.，C.A.Campbell，H.H.Janzen，R.L.Lemke，P.Basnyat and C.L.McDonald(2009).″Carbon input to soil from oilseed and pulse crops on the Canadian prairies.″Agriculture，Ecosystems&Environment 132(3-4)：290-297.

Gasol，C.，X.Gabarrell，A.Anton，M.Rigola，J.Carrasco，P.Ciria，M.L.Solano and J.Rieradevall(2007).″Life cycle assessment of a Brassica carinata bioenergy cropping system in southern Europe.″Biomass and Bioenergy 31(8)：543-555.

Gasol，C.M.，S.Martínez，M.Rigola，J.Rieradevall，A.Anton，J.Carrasco，P.Ciria and X.Gabarrell(2009).″Feasibility assessment of poplar bioenergy systems in the Southern Europe.″Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 13(4)：801-812.

Gesch，R.W.，T.A.Isbell，E.A.Oblath，B.L.Allen，D.W.Archer，J.Brown，J.L.Hatfield，J.D.Jabro，J.R.Kiniry，D.S.Long and M.F.Vigil(2015).″Comparison of several Brassica species in the north central U.S.for potential jet fuel feedstock.″Industrial Crops and Products 75b：2-7.

Hay，R.K.M.(1995).″Harvest index：a review of its use in plant breeding and crop physiology.″Annals of Applied Biology 126(1)：197-216.

Hume，D.J.and A.K.H.Jackson(1981)·″Frost Tolerance in Soybeansl.″Crop Science 21(5)：689-692

Jobbagy，E.G.and R.B.Jackson(2000).″The Vertical Distribution Of Soil Organic Carbon And Its Relation To Climate And Vegetation.″Ecological Applications 10(2)：423-436.

Johnson，E.N.，S.S.Malhi，L.M.Hall and S.Phelps(2013).″Effects of nitrogen fertilizer application on seed yield，N uptake，N use efficiency，and seed quality of Brassica carinata.″Canadian Journal of Plant Science 93(6)：1073-1081.

Kirkegaard，J.A.and M.Sarwar(1998).″Biofumigation potential of Brassicas.″Plant and Soil 201(1)：71-89.

Lal，R.(2008).″Carbon sequestration.″Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 363(1492)：815-830.

Lal，R.(2008).Crop Residues and Soil Carbon.FAO Conservation Agriculture Carbon Offset Consultation：1-14.

Mnzava，N.A.and R.R.Schippers.(2007).″Brassica carinata A.Braun.[Internet]Record from PROTA4U.″Plant Resources of Tropical Africa/Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale，from https：//www.prota4u.org/protav8.asph＝ M4&t＝Brassica，carinata&p＝Brassica+carinata#Synonyms.

Nagaharu，U.(1935).″Genome analysis in Brassica with special reference to the experimental formation of B.napus and peculiar mode of fertilization.″Japanese Journal of Botany 7：389-452.

Neeft，J.，S.t.Buck，T.Gerlagh，B.Gagnepain，D.Bacovsky，N.Ludwiczek，P.Lavelle，G.Thonier，Y.Lechón，C.Lago，I.Herrera，K.Georgakopoulos，N.Komioti，H.Fehrenbach，A.Hennecke，M.Parikka，L.Kinning and P.Wollin(2012).BioGrace Publishable final report Institute for Energy and Environmental Research(IFEU)：28.

Newman，Y.C.，D.L.Wright，C.Mackowiak，J.M.S.Scholberg，C.M.Cherr and C.G.Chambliss(2010(revised)).Cover Crops I.Extension and U.o.Florida.

Nguyen，C.(2003).″Rhizodeposition of organic C by plants：mechanisms and controls.″Agronomie 23：375-396.

Pan，X.，C.D.Caldwell，K.C.Falk and R.Lada(2012).″The effect of cultivar，seeding rate and applied nitrogen on Brassica carinata seed yield and quality in contrasting environments.″Canadian Journal of Plant Science 92(5)：961-971.

Rahman，M.and M.Tahir(2010).″Inheritance of seed coat color of Ethiopian mustard(Brassica carinata A.Braun).″Canadian Journal of Plant Science 90(3)：279-281.

Seepaul，R.，C.M.Bliss，D.L.Wright，J.J.Marois，R.Leon，N.Dufault，S.George and S.M.

(2015).Carinata，the Jet Fuel Cover Crop：2016 Production Recommendations for the Southeastem United States.Agronomy Department，IFAS Extension and U.o.Florida，University of Florida.SS.AGR-384：1-8.

Seepaul，R.，S.George and D.L.Wright(2016).″Comparative response of Brassica carinata and B.napus vegetative growth，development and photosynthesis to nitrogen nutrition.″Industrial Crops a Products 94：872-883.

Sherwani，S.I.，I.A.Arif and H.A.Khan(2015).Modes of Action of Different Classes of

Herbicides，Physiology of Action，and Safety.A.Price，J.Kelton and L.Sarunaite.Rijeka，InTech：08.

Shrestha，B.M.，R.L.Desjardins，B.G.McConkey，D.E.Worth，J.A.Dyer and D.D.Cerkowniak(2014).″Change in carbon footprint of canola production in the Canadian Prairies from 1986 to

Renewable Energy 63：634-641.

Wang，M.Q.(1996).GREET 1.0--Transportation fuel cycles model：Methodology and use，；Argonne National Lab.，IL(United States)：Medium：ED；Size：74p.

Wisner，R.(2010).Corn and Soybean Availability for Biofuels in 2010-11.AgMRC Renewable Energy&Climate Change Newsletter，Agricultural Marketing Resource Center 10.

all publications and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

The phrase "and/or," as used in the specification and claims, should be understood to refer to "either or both" of the elements so combined, i.e., elements that are present together in some cases and not continuously present in other cases.

Multiple elements enumerated with "and/or" should be understood in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so combined. There may optionally be additional elements other than the elements specifically identified by the "and/or" sentence, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, reference to "a and/or B" when used in conjunction with open-ended language, e.g., "comprises," may refer in one embodiment to a alone (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than a); in yet another embodiment, to a and B (optionally including other elements); and the like.

As used herein in the specification and claims, "or" should be understood to include the same meaning as "and/or" as defined above. For example, when a list is divided into items, "or" and/or "should be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., containing at least one of the plurality of elements or list of elements, but also including more than one and optionally including additional unrecited items.

In this document, the transitional terms "comprising," "including," "carrying," "having," "containing," "involving," and the like, whether in the specification or in the appended claims, are to be understood as being inclusive or open-ended (i.e., meaning including but not limited to), and not exclusive of elements, materials, or method steps that are not recited. The transition phrases "consisting of 8230; and" consisting essentially of 8230; are closed or semi-closed transition phrases, respectively, relative to the claims and exemplary embodiments paragraphs herein. The transitional phrase "consisting of" excludes any elements, steps or components not specifically recited. The transition phrase "consisting essentially of 8230%" \8230%, \8230composition "limits the scope to particular elements, materials or steps, as well as those that do not materially affect the basic characteristics of the invention disclosed and/or claimed herein.

Claims

1. A process for producing a Brassica carinata (Brassica carinata) oil for use as a feedstock in the production of low carbon strength biofuels, the process comprising:

obtaining a brassica carinata grain produced by a method comprising:

a. planting a variety of Arabidopsis thaliana as a second crop for rotation with the first crop, or

Replacing fallow;

b. implementing land management practices to reduce the use of fossil fuel inputs and to maximize the capture of atmospheric carbon by plant material of the brassica carinata variety, wherein the land management practices comprise one or more of:

i. no tillage, low tillage or intertillage,

reduced irrigation compared to the normal amount of irrigation required for another oilseed crop in the same growing environment,

reducing the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer compared to the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer in the growing environment for Arabidopsis, and

using manure to provide about 20% to about 100% of the nitrogen fertilizer required for cultivation of brassica carinata;

c. harvesting the Arabidopsis thaliana variety to obtain grain;

d. returning to soil about 70% to about 90% of all plant material in the brassica carinata variety other than the grain; and is

Extracting oil from the harvested grain to obtain oil for use as a feedstock in the production of a low carbon strength biofuel having a carbon strength value reduced by at least 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200g or more of CO relative to the carbon strength value of a corresponding conventional fuel produced from fossil fuel feedstock _2eq energy/MJ.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of producing the eurotia grain further comprises planting the brassica carinata variety immediately after or concurrent with harvesting the first crop to produce sequential crop production without intervening periods of fallow.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of producing the Elsinoe grain further comprises processing the harvested grain to produce a meal fraction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon intensity value of the low carbon intensity biofuel is reduced by about 50 to about 200gCO relative to the carbon intensity value of a corresponding fuel from a fossil fuel feedstock _2eq /MJ。

5. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the production of the low carbon strength biofuel results in a reduction in GHG emissions by about 60% to about 400% over its life cycle relative to GHG emissions resulting from the production of a corresponding fuel from a fossil fuel feedstock.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising producing a protein-rich feed additive from the meal fraction, the feed additive for animal husbandry production.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of producing the eurotia grain further comprises planting a new crop that is the same as or different from the first crop immediately after or simultaneously with the harvest of the brassica carinata, but which is not the brassica carinata, without an intervening fallow period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sequestering atmospheric CO ₂ 。

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method sequesters about 0.5 to about 5 tons of CO per hectare per year in soil ₂ 。

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of producing the russian grain comprises reducing the use of nitrogen fertilizer to between about 40% and about 100% of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer by the russian mustard in a growing environment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the manure is chicken manure, cattle manure, or sheep manure.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein there is little or no change in land use.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first crop is a legume crop.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the legume crop is a peanut, a soybean, a lentil, a bean, or a pea.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first crop is a cereal crop.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cereal crop is wheat, barley, rye, oats or corn.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first crop is cotton or sesame.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing environment is located in a tropical humid climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer, or planting the brassica carinata in spring to harvest in autumn.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing environment is located in a tropical dry climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in autumn or winter to harvest in spring or summer.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing environment is located in a temperate dry climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in the spring for harvesting in the summer or fall.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing environment is located in a temperate humid climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the brassica carinata in spring for harvesting in summer or autumn.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing environment is located in a warm temperate humid climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the predura stutzeri in the fall or winter to harvest in the spring or summer.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing environment is located in a warm-banded dry climate region, and wherein the land management practice comprises planting the Arabidopsis in the fall or winter to harvest in the spring or summer.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the harvesting is performed by a combine.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the harvesting is performed by direct combine harvesting.